Donald Trump’s approval rating has remained at a record low of 32 per cent as the November midterm elections approach, while support for the US president among Hispanic voters has fallen to its lowest level of either of his terms.
The six-day Reuters-Ipsos poll, completed on Monday, found that only 24 per cent of Hispanic voters approved of Mr Trump’s performance. The figure has continued to decline despite his previous gains among the group.
Among Hispanic voters surveyed, 52 per cent said they planned to support Democratic candidates in the midterms, compared with 26 per cent who intended to vote Republican.
Trump’s support among Hispanic voters falls
The findings mark a sharp reversal from the progress Mr Trump made with Hispanic voters in recent elections. Pew Research Center estimated that he won 48 per cent of the Hispanic vote in the 2024 presidential contest, compared with 51 per cent for his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris.
That represented a substantial improvement on 2020, when Mr Trump received 36 per cent of the Hispanic vote. Analysts have credited the increase with helping him win the 2024 election, after his defeat by Joe Biden four years earlier.
The midterms will determine whether Republicans retain their majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The elections are widely viewed as a referendum on Mr Trump’s second term.
Democrats are seeking to turn dissatisfaction with the president into electoral momentum. A Democratic majority in either chamber of Congress would impose significant limits on his agenda for the remainder of his time in office.
Mr Trump’s immigration policies have also created tensions within his party. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican representative from Florida, addressed him directly in a campaign advert released last month.
“The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today,” she said, arguing that some of his enforcement measures had gone too far.
Ms Salazar specifically referred to the detention and deportation of immigrants who had no criminal record. The poll material also cited concerns over the cost of living and Mr Trump’s decision to launch a war on Iran as factors that experts said could damage Republican candidates in competitive races.
Despite the warning signs, Mr Trump has continued to express confidence in Republican prospects. He has placed himself at the centre of the party’s midterm campaign and launched a 32-day series of rallies across the country before the November 3 vote.
“Just so you understand, they all want me to go,” Mr Trump said, rejecting suggestions that some Republicans would prefer him to stay away from their campaigns. “They all want me to go campaign.”
