Rhetoric and a Lack of Respect: How Trump’s Campaign Risks Alienating Latino Voters

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Arizona. (Photo: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

At a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Oct. 27, a speaker's racially insensitive joke about Puerto Rico made national headlines and sparked backlash. The twist? The speaker was not Trump. Over the past eight years, spanning three election cycles and one presidential term, former President Donald Trump’s campaign has repeatedly employed rhetoric and policies that impact its relationship with the Latin American community domestically and internationally. Although the Trump campaign has distanced itself from the speaker’s remarks, this incident — though it may seem isolated — underscores broader sentiments within some parts of the Trump campaign regarding Latin Americans and Latin migrants. It also reflects what some in the Trump Republican Party consider acceptable to say at a campaign rally. Given Puerto Rico’s unique status as a US territory, such remarks not only affect those directly involved but also resonate across the broader Latin community, potentially influencing Latin American voters’ view of the Trump campaign.

Since the Trump campaign’s unprecedented run in 2016, it has maintained a firm stance on immigration and border control, epitomized by Trump’s “Build the Wall” rhetoric, which helped propel him to the top of the ticket. Trump and his team have consistently pushed a divisive “us versus them” narrative to hammer his hardline stance on immigration. However, this message does more than energize his base. It also impacts Latin American voters domestically, many of whom have family members affected by Trump’s policies. Although Trump did not deliver the controversial remarks at the rally, the incident reflects broader anti-immigrant sentiments that many Latin Americans feel are amplified under Trump’s leadership, emphasizing a collective concern that reaches across borders and influences voters with relatives in Latin American countries.

Former President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House, declaring a national emergency to build a wall along the southern border on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019, in Washington. (Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump’s rhetoric carries real consequences, particularly with Latino voters. According to a UCLA study, Latin voters are a critical demographic in key swing states like Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Trump won or lost these states by slim margins in both 2016 and 2020, and the Latino population in these areas has grown substantially in recent years. This means that any anti-Latino sentiment, such as the recent remarks at Madison Square Garden, could significantly affect electoral outcomes. With the race projected to be immensely close, Trump’s messaging, even when targeted primarily at border policies, often resonates as an attack on the Latino community and identity, potentially shifting voter sentiment and engagement.

At the same time. Trump’s campaign has aimed to gain traction among conservative Latino voters, using messages of “traditional” values and economic policies that he claims will protect “American jobs.” The campaign believes that conservative values will trump the countless controversial statements made throughout the past three election cycles. Nonetheless, this dual messaging creates a contradiction that Latino voters must navigate, making it challenging for the campaign to maintain a strong base of Latino support. At its core, the Trump campaign’s rhetoric seeks to foster a sense of national identity among his supporters — one that often excludes, or perhaps vilifies, immigrants from Latin America. As Latino communities weigh their choices, they must consider a candidate who claims his policies align with their values against a campaign that has, at times, seemed to disregard the respect they feel they deserve.