Former President Donald Trump dramatically improved his support among African American supporters in Wisconsin – a crucial battleground that is part of the Democrats‘ ‘Blue Wall.’
Donald Trump was getting about a 20 percent support among black voters, according to an NBC exit poll.
That is more than double the 8 percent he got in 2020. He has been making a major play for minority support, encouraged by pre-election polls.
At the same time, he was getting 38 percent among Hispanic / Latino voters, according to the exits.
That group back Joe Biden over Trump by a 23 point margin, 59 to 36.
He is also seeing gains among Latino men among a group of 10 key states. They backed Democrat Kamala Harris 54-44, a healthy margin, but perhaps not what she needs in major battlegrounds where they make up a big share of the Democratic coalition.
Former President Donald Trump made a big play for Black and Hispanic voters, and made gains in Wisconsin, according to early exit polls
Back in 2020, they supported Joe Biden over Trump by a much larger 23-point margin, 59 to 35.
During his campaign Trump repeatedly spoke about illegal migrants taking what he termed ‘black jobs’ and Hispanic jobs. He promised to slap tariffs on imports and said it would drive up U.S. manufacturing.
In Michigan, which has a larger minority share of the population, Trump was getting just 9 percent of the black vote, according to exit polls there.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on stage next to former boxer Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, during a rally at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. October 18, 2024. Trump saw pre-election margins that improved on his 2020 numbers among blacks and Hispanic voters
Bishop John Drew Sheard, center left, leads a congregation in a prayer over Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center right, during a church service at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Detroit. Harris hoped to goose black turnout in the final days of the race
Pew Research estimates there are 34 million Black eligible voters in the U.S., an increase of 7 percent from the 2020 election, and making up about 14 percent of eligible voters.
They are a crucial part of the Democratic coalition, helping propel Barack Obama to become the first Black president.
Black voters in South Carolina also helped propel Joe Biden to his primary victory, in part with the support and organization of Rep. James C. Clyburn.
Harris would be the first black woman president.
Trump injected debate about her racial background into the campaing when he questioned her ethnicity during a contentious interview with a group of black journalists in Chicago.
Although Harris has enjoyed strong support among African American voters, the question Tuesday was whether she could maintain Biden’s margins.