How Trump Won Votes Of One-Fifth Of Black Men & Almost Half Of Latino Males

Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign knew they’d have a challenge winning over black and Latino men in her election run, but they underestimated the challenge.

President-elect Donald Trump doubled his support from black men in 2020 and secured 47% of Latino men, according to exit polling.

The election results show that black and Latino men are losing faith in the Democratic Party’s ability to deliver on policies that will benefit them.

Longtime GOP strategist and author of The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy, Mike Madrid, credits Harris for her pivot to the right on immigration. He says more Democrats should do so if they want to compete for voters of the working class and people of color.

Focus groups show that black and Latino men care about the economy, the price of everyday household items, and how to stop the flow of illegal immigration into the country, which has been a common theme among Trump voters since 2020.

During Harris’ campaign, she tried to counter the narrative that Democrats don’t understand working-class voters of color by talking about her middle-class upbringing and time working at McDonald’s.

Harris’ plan, the Opportunity Agenda, to win over black men was revealed less than a month before election day. This plan promised a forgivable loan of $20,000 for black men starting businesses and creating pathways for black men to become teachers.

Harris also revealed a plan for Latino men, Hombres con Harris, in mid-October. The plan proposed building three million new homes and offering $25,000 down payment assistance to give Latino families access to homeownership.

These initiatives did little help to Harris, who underperformed compared to President Joe Biden‘s 2020 margins.

Black Republicans like Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt said that Democrats take black men’s votes for granted. He ridiculed deploying people like former President Barack Obama to talk them into voting for Harris.