President Donald Trump’s standing with Hispanic and Latino voters ticked up in the newest national survey from Emerson College, showing a noticeably tighter divide than the pollster measured a month earlier.
In the latest results, a slightly larger share of Hispanic and Latino voters still disapprove of Trump’s job performance than approve. But the difference has narrowed considerably: the poll put Trump’s net approval among the group at -2.1 points, a sharp improvement from -29.7 points in Emerson’s December 2025 survey.
Why It Matters
Hispanic and Latino voters became a more competitive swing bloc in the 2024 presidential election. While the group has historically leaned Democratic, it split more than usual in 2024, backing former Vice President Kamala Harris by only 5 percentage points, according to CNN exit polling.
That shift helped Trump flip battlegrounds such as Arizona and Nevada, and boosted Republican margins in major states like Florida and Texas. Heading into the 2026 midterm elections, one of the central questions for Democrats is whether they can win back Hispanic and Latino voters who moved right.
What To Know
The Emerson College poll released Friday found 43.3% of Hispanic or Latino voters approve of Trump’s job performance, compared with 45.4% who disapprove, roughly a year into his second term.
That’s a major change from Emerson’s December snapshot. In that earlier survey, 57.9% of Hispanic and Latino voters disapproved of Trump’s job performance, while 28.2% approved.
The latest poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters from January 17–19, 2026. The earlier poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters from December 14–15, 2025. Both had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.
Among Americans overall, the January poll found 51% disapprove of Trump’s job performance and 43% approve, for a net rating of -8 points.
What Other Polls Show
Other recent surveys paint a less favorable picture for Trump among Hispanic and Latino voters, highlighting how crosstabs can swing between polls—and how results haven’t always lined up across different pollsters.
A recent YouGov/The Economist poll showed Trump’s net approval among Hispanic voters at -15 points, with 55% disapproving and 40% approving. In that same poll, Trump’s overall net approval stood at -20, with 57% disapproving and 37% approving. The survey sampled 1,722 American adults from January 16–19, 2026.
A New York Times/Siena College poll found 59% of Hispanic voters disapprove of the president, while 39% approve. Overall, the poll showed 40% approval and 57% disapproval nationwide. That survey sampled 1,625 registered voters from January 12–17, 2026.
How Hispanic and Latino Voting Has Shifted
Trump nearly closed the gap with Latino voters in 2024, according to CNN exit polling. Harris won 51% of Latino voters to Trump’s 46%, a relatively narrow margin compared with recent cycles.
In 2020, Latino voters backed former President Joe Biden 65% to 32%. And in 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won Latino voters 66% to 28%.
What People Are Saying
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, wrote in the polling memo: “Venezuela is the Trump administration’s top issue in the survey among Hispanic voters, who approve of the administration’s actions 44% to 37%, while Black voters disapprove 72% to 18%. White voters are split: 43% approve and 42% disapprove.”
Trump criticized polls in a post to Truth Social after the Times survey released Thursday, writing: “Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense. As an example, all of the Anti Trump Media that covered me during the 2020 Election showed Polls that were knowingly wrong.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s approval ratings will remain under heavy scrutiny as the 2026 midterms approach, with Democrats aiming to reclaim control of the House and Senate. Whether the party can rebuild support among Hispanic and Latino voters—especially in battleground states—could shape some of the most competitive races on the map.
