MIAMI - Miami Mayor Francis Saurez praised former President Donald Trump for his appearance at a Univision town hall in Miami-Dade County Wednesday in an attempt to win over undecided Latino voters.
"President Trump did a fantastic job on Univision tonight! He made it clear why Hispanic Americans are voting Republican at record levels. It's simple: we want safe communities, prosperous families, and a bright future for our children," Saurez said.
Miami-Dade County is nearly 70% Hispanic, and Trump has made overall gains in the county over the last two presidential election cycles. After losing by nearly 30 points to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, Trump lost to former Vice President Joe Biden by just over seven points in 2020.
More specifically, Trump garnered 56% of Cuban voters in Florida in 2020, according to NBC News exit polls. Cubans, along with Hispanics as a whole, have also helped Florida turn from a "battleground" state to firmly red in Trump's corner.
On a national level, Trump also has narrowed the gap among Hispanic voters from Democrats over the same period.
According to a recent New York Times/Siena poll, Republicans earned 28% of the Hispanic vote in 2016, compared to 68% for Democrats. In 2020, Republicans gained another eight percent while Democrats lost six percent, or a 13-point shift over both cycles.
Facing Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, Trump is expected to win 37% of the Hispanic vote to the Democrats' 56%. At that margin, Trump will have sliced Democrats' support among Hispanics by more than half in eight years.
