Brian Leija, a 31-year-old small business owner in Belton, Texas, embodies this trend. A longtime supporter of Trump, Leija credits the former president’s policies, particularly on small business tax cuts, with helping him weather financial uncertainties. “I’m a blue-collar worker,” Leija explained, adding that such tax breaks are vital for businesses like his. For him, Trump’s economic message resonated more than anything else.
Similarly, DaSean Gallishaw, a consultant in Fairfax, Virginia, pointed to what he sees as a gap between Democratic rhetoric and action for minority communities. The 25-year-old has voted for Trump in three consecutive elections, citing the GOP’s tangible efforts on minority outreach as a key motivator. “It’s been a long time since the Democrats really kept their promises to what they’re going to do for the minority communities,” Gallishaw noted.
Shifts in Support Among Black and Latino Men
The shift in voting patterns among young Black and Latino men aligns with findings from AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. Trump’s share of Black men under 45 doubled from 2020, with roughly 3 in 10 voting for him this cycle. Young Latino men, similarly, demonstrated increased openness to Trump’s candidacy, with about half casting ballots for him, a shift from six in 10 supporting Biden in the last election.
Juan Proano, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, highlighted the impact of Trump’s economic messaging on Latino voters. “I think it’s important to say that Latinos have a significant impact in deciding who the next president was going to be,” he stated. Proano attributes this influence to Trump’s focus on issues like inflation, wages, and economic stability—priorities he says resonate with working-class Latino men.
The economy topped concerns across demographics, with voters broadly identifying it as the most pressing national issue. In particular, young Black and Latino men cited the increased cost of living as a catalyst for their support. Alexis Uscanga, a 20-year-old college student from Brownsville, Texas, expressed concerns over rising expenses in daily necessities, from gas to groceries. For Uscanga, these financial strains led him to reconsider Trump, despite misgivings about the former president’s past rhetoric. Reflecting on life under Trump in 2018 and 2019, Uscanga said, “I just felt that we lived a good life no matter what the media was saying.”
Leadership and “Strongman” Appeal
Part of Trump’s appeal for these voters lies in the perception of him as a strong leader. This characterization saw a marked increase among Hispanic men, with 6 in 10 describing Trump as a strong leader, up from 43% in 2020. Black men and women were also twice as likely to characterize Trump as a strong leader compared to previous years. The Rev. Derrick Harkins, who has worked extensively in Black American religious communities, believes Trump’s assertive, hypermasculine image had a particular appeal to young men across racial lines. “I think that Trump with this bogus machismo has been effective among young men, Black, white, Hispanic,” Harkins observed, noting that even a slight shift can have major electoral consequences.
The sentiment that traditional leadership qualities are vital was echoed by David Means, a purchasing manager in Atlanta who chose not to vote in this election. Means, who is Black, said neither candidate inspired his support but that he was pleased with the result, emphasizing a preference for what he sees as a traditional model of leadership. “I wasn’t pulling for Trump or Kamala, but I did not want a woman in that position,” he admitted, citing his preference for a leader with perceived strength and pragmatism.
New Swing Voters: Young Men of Color
According to Terrance Woodbury, co-founder of HIT Strategies, these shifts in political loyalty may signal a new trend in American electoral dynamics. Woodbury explains that young men of color are emerging as pivotal swing voters, akin to the role suburban women and “soccer moms” have traditionally played. “Men of color are really beginning to emerge as the new swing voters,” Woodbury explained. “They are less ideological, less tied to a single party, and more likely to swing either between parties or in and out of the electorate.”
While Trump’s gains among Black and Latino men under 45 were significant, they alone were not sufficient to secure his victory. The majority of his support still came from white voters. Nonetheless, the shift among young men of color reflects a larger trend that could reshape future elections.
Economic Realities Resonate More Than Data
Even as Harris’s campaign attempted to highlight economic progress—declining inflation, low unemployment, and rising wages—these messages did not resonate with many young Black and Latino voters who continued to feel financial strain. Nearly all young Black and Latino voters reported that they perceived the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” a view that contributed to the erosion of support for the Democratic ticket.
These sentiments point to a complex landscape where traditional party alliances are giving way to issue-based decisions. As the economic concerns and demand for strong leadership resonate more deeply with young men of color, the focus for both parties will likely shift to addressing the realities these voters face.
