Exit poll data for the 2024 election revealed that Latino support for Democrats eroded at an accelerated pace compared to previous elections and played a key role in helping Donald Trump take back the White House. 

“Inside the Issues” host Amrit Singh was joined by Mike Madrid, author of “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy,” for analysis on the impact of the Latino vote in 2024 and what we learned on election night. 

“This trend has been going on for the better part of about 12 years now,” Madrid said. “I think it’s actually caught people’s attention because the size of the Latino vote has gotten so big and so influential, and it’s beginning to compound now, that people can’t ignore it anymore.”

Madrid noted that even though Latino support for Democrats was lower this year, that might not mean that Latino people are identifying more as conservative. 

“There is very little evidence showing that Latinos are actually becoming more conservative. There’s a lot of evidence that Latinos are becoming more populist, more anti-establishment,” said Madrid. “And as the Republican party becomes less conservative and more populist, it’s naturally the beneficiary of that sentiment.”

Madrid also discussed the politics surrounding Trump’s campaign pledge for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, which he says will depend on how the plan is executed. 

“We have to remember that border security has become a bigger concern for Latinos,” Madrid said. “A lot of this is going to come down to how it’s implemented… If Trump overplays his hand, there’s a good chance that the political blowback could be strong, fierce and overwhelming.” 

Click the arrow above to watch the full interview with Madrid.