Trump squandered his Hispanic edge — now Republicans must earn it back

The article argues that Republicans lost much of the Hispanic support Donald Trump gained in 2024 after treating that support as lasting loyalty and misreading backing for border security as approval of broad, punitive immigration enforcement. It says the midterm results should prompt the party to reconsider its approach if it hopes to remain competitive with a growing and electorally important voting bloc.

Trump’s share of the Latino vote rose from 35% in 2020 to 43% in 2024, while roughly a third of Hispanic voters backed GOP House candidates in the midterms. In an April poll of 1,200 Hispanic voters, 85% supported more legal immigration pathways and eight in ten wanted deportations focused on people convicted of serious crimes; the article also cites support for school choice and the importance many place on family and religion as potential points of conservative alignment.