On Thursday, The New York Times published an opinion piece by Dr. Daniel Martinez HoSang, a Yale professor of American studies and political science, examining the growing shift of non-White voters toward former President Donald Trump. Drawing from research and interviews in cities like Milwaukee and San Francisco, HoSang argued that the Democratic Party is losing support among key minority groups due to growing dissatisfaction with identity politics, worsening economic conditions, and rising crime rates.
HoSang wrote, “The rightward drift of minority voters is not a story of just one election. It is a phenomenon years in the making.” He emphasized that this transformation is reshaping American politics. His observations are backed by a recent Pew Research Center poll, which shows a marked increase in minority support for Trump. Among Hispanic voters, Trump trails Vice President Kamala Harris by only three points—48% to 51%—compared to a wide gap in the 2020 election. Support from Black voters has grown from 8% to 15%, and from 30% to 40% among Asian voters.
One example comes from Milwaukee, where former Obama voter Orlando Owens expressed frustration with the Democratic Party. Owens said he initially supported Democrats because of shared identity but later felt abandoned. “A lot of Black people have already heard the promises from the Democrats. And nothing was delivered,” he said, citing bureaucratic burdens and perceived favoritism toward undocumented immigrants.
HoSang also noted that many voters of color are now influenced by right-wing media, including conservative podcasts and social media. These platforms, he said, reframe economic and social frustrations as evidence of Democratic policy failures, resonating with disaffected communities.
In San Francisco’s Bay Area, business owner Nancy Yu Law described how rising crime has alienated Asian-American voters. After multiple break-ins at her Chinatown stores, she criticized local leaders for not taking stronger action. “When I ask my friends, what do you think of President Trump? They are all pretty satisfied,” she told HoSang.
