Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stopped by Florida earlier this week to host a roundtable event with Latino leaders at his Doral golf resort. There, he doubled down on his mass deportation claims, warned attendees that the country's political system could collapse if he loses in November and was showered with religious gifts from evangelist leaders.
It is all part of his final push for the Latino vote in Florida, a state that has tilted heavily towards Republicans in the last few years, with the GOP controlling the governor's office, both houses of the state legislature, both U.S. Senate seats, and 18 of 30 congressional districts.
The Trump campaign seems poised to conquer at least one of the most powerful Latino voting blocks in the state, as a new poll from Florida International University revealed strong support among Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade days ahead of the presidential election. Concretely, the poll found that 68% of Cuban Americans in the county plan to vote for the former president, further illustrating the group's continued alignment with the Republican Party.
The number marks the highest level of support for Trump recorded in the poll's history, surpassing the 60% support he received ahead of the 2020 election.
The poll also showed that even though Cuban Americans strongly lean Republican, affiliation in the community has declined from its 2007 peak of 68% to 55%, as a growing number (27%) now identify as independents. Moreover, younger Cuban Americans and those born outside Cuba are more likely to align with Democrats or independents.
On policy, the poll highlights that economic issues, health care, and immigration are key concerns for Cuban American voters, and while 70% of respondents believe the decades-long embargo on Cuba has not worked, 55% still favor its continuation. There is also broad support for maintaining Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Additionally, 72% of Cuban Americans support the Biden administration's immigration parole program, despite Trump's stance to end it. However, the poll found 67% of Cuban Americans disapprove of Biden's handling of Cuba policy.
As for the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Republican Senator Rick Scott is favored by 50% of Cuban Americans, while his Democratic challenger, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, has 19% support. However, 22% of voters remain undecided.
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