President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Hispanic and Latino voters has seen a noticeable improvement, according to the latest Emerson College national poll. While a plurality of the group still disapproves of the president, his net approval rating has risen to -2.1 points, a significant jump from -29.7 points in Emerson’s December 2025 survey.
The January poll, conducted from January 17-19 among 1,000 likely voters, found that 43.3 percent of Hispanic and Latino voters approve of Trump’s job performance, compared to 45.4 percent who disapprove. By comparison, the December survey found just 28.2 percent approving and 57.9 percent disapproving. Overall, the poll shows Trump with a net approval rating of -8 points nationwide, with 43 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving.
Hispanic and Latino voters emerged as a swing demographic in the 2024 election. Historically leaning Democratic, the group supported former Vice President Kamala Harris by only five points, according to CNN exit polls, helping Trump flip battleground states like Arizona and Nevada and boost Republican margins in Florida and Texas. The question of whether Democrats can regain ground with this demographic is likely to shape the 2026 midterms.
Other recent polling presents a more mixed picture. A YouGov/The Economist survey found Trump’s net approval among Hispanic voters at –15 points, with 55 percent disapproving and 40 percent approving. Meanwhile, a New York Times/Siena College poll reported 59 percent disapproval and 39 percent approval among Hispanic voters, highlighting the volatility in measuring this group’s support.
Trump’s gains among Hispanic voters mark a broader shift over the past several elections. In 2020, Joe Biden carried the group 65-32 percent, while in 2016 Hillary Clinton won 66-28 percent. Even in 2024, Harris’s narrow 51-46 percent edge shows a notable rightward movement in Latino voting patterns.
Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball noted that Venezuela is a key issue driving approval among Hispanic voters, with 44 percent approving of the Trump administration’s actions on the country. Kimball added that White voters were split, and Black voters strongly disapproved. Trump himself criticized the Times poll in a Truth Social post, calling it “fake and fraudulent” and claiming media polls were intentionally wrong during the 2020 election.
As the 2026 midterms approach, Hispanic and Latino voter support will remain a closely watched factor, particularly in competitive states where these communities could decide the outcome of key congressional and Senate races.
