Latino voters are still waiting for real economic relief. Like most other Americans, they’re dealing with high prices, flat wages and the daily strain of trying to stay afloat. And they are not seeing solutions from either party.
President Donald Trump promised to lower costs in his second term, but those promises have yet to materialize. Instead, he has turned to immigration crackdowns, using enforcement that stirs fear in Latino communities. Democrats haven’t filled the gap. Their response has been delayed, cautious or nonexistent. The result is a growing sense of cynicism among the very voters both parties claim they want to reach.
According to the poll’s top lines, only 34% of Latino voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 63% disapprove.
That frustration isn’t anecdotal. It showed up clearly in polling about Latinos, Trump and the economy released late last week by Equis and Data for Progress, which surveyed over 1,600 Latino voters nationwide. The results reflect what many in the community have been saying for months, if not years: Latino voters aren’t energized; they’re exasperated with both Republicans and Democrats. And the usual campaign playbook isn’t reaching them.
According to the poll’s top lines, only 34% of Latino voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 63% disapprove. That is a net negative of 29 points. Even among those who once viewed Trump as a strong economic leader, cracks are beginning to appear. Nineteen percent said they used to think he was a good businessman, but no longer do. When asked which party they trust more to handle cost-of-living issues, 13% said “neither,” and only 33% said they trust Democrats “much more.” The poll points to a clear conclusion: Latino voters, especially those who don’t feel tied to either party, are not fully aligned with Republicans or Democrats. They are skeptical, disillusioned and tired of promises that never turn into results.
“The biggest takeaway from this research is that neither party should assume they have Latinos in their pocket one way or another,” Equis co-founder and CEO Stephanie Valencia told me in response to my written questions about the poll. “We’re seeing a third of Trump voters tell us they aren’t set on voting for a Republican in next year’s midterm elections, but we’re also seeing increased cynicism about both parties among key swing voters. Republicans shouldn’t assume they’ll hold onto all the Latino voters Trump gained in November, and Democrats shouldn’t assume that lower Trump approval will transfer altogether into increased support for them.”
This moment didn’t come out of nowhere. According to Pew Research Center’s 2024 validated voter study, Trump pulled nearly even with Kamala Harris among Latino voters in 2024, winning 48% to her 51%. That marked a sharp shift from 2020, when Trump lost the Latino vote 36% to 61% against Joe Biden. The economy was the main driver. As I wrote last year, Trump made his biggest gains by convincing Latinos that he would bring down the cost of living. That faith was already starting to falter by May, as poll after poll showed Trump’s approval with Latinos slipping. This new Equis poll confirms what was already obvious. Among those Latino voters who switched from Biden to Trump, half now disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy.
In the Equis poll, Latino voters were clear about what specific economic relief they were seeking. The top priorities were lowering the cost of food and groceries (ranked first by 11%), cutting taxes for the working and middle class (8%), increasing pay and benefits (7%), expanding access to affordable health care (7%), and increasing the number of good-paying jobs (6%). Even as the country watches mass deportations, the dehumanization of migrants, and targeted actions against Latino-majority areas like Los Angeles, immigration may not be the animating issue many assume it is, especially not for Latino swing voters, who, in fact, can make the difference in the 2026 midterms and the 2028 election. It is, and always will be, about the economy.
Valencia said these voters didn’t back Trump out of loyalty but because they were desperate for economic relief.
“Biden defectors took a chance on Trump, in part, because they were looking for relief from their economic challenges,” she said. “But Trump has yet to deliver on his promises to lower the cost of living, so today, half of Biden defectors disapprove of Trump’s job overall and of his handling of the economy. Democrats will need to offer Latinos a proactive vision for lowering the cost of living and build back their credibility and trust with Latino voters.” The idea that Trump’s extremism would be enough to win back these voters was inaccurate in 2024, and it remains so in 2025. What Democrats still don’t seem to understand is that Latino voters are not coming back just because Trump is cruel. As hard as it is to watch what is happening daily and comprehend the damage it has caused throughout Latino communities, immigration raids and hard-line rhetoric won’t magically drive disillusioned voters back into the Democratic column. Many Latino voters still remember when Democrats and President Barack Obama held full control in Washington and failed to deliver immigration reform. Others blame them for failing to act sooner on wages, housing or health care. The idea that Trump’s extremism would be enough to win back these voters was inaccurate in 2024, and it remains so in 2025. Latino voters are still watching, but they are no longer waiting. Some Democrats have convinced themselves that Trump’s support has already peaked with Latinos and it is only decreasing. That would be a premature take, since, as Valencia noted, “the last few elections have proven just how dynamic the Latino electorate is.” If either party wants to earn their support, they’ll have to prove they can deliver. Nothing else will do.
Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of The Latino Newsletter. 
