Date of Award

Fall 12-12-2025

Degree Type

Honors Thesis

Major

Politics

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Brian Weiner

Abstract

How did a candidate widely condemned as hostile to Latino communities receive such visible and enthusiastic support from the very voters he was targeting? The 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections all revealed an unexpected trend, increased support for Donald Trump among the Latino electorate. While previous research mostly rests on Latino voting behavior studies, I identified an area that lacked analysis altogether: what was the role of Latino-led political organizations in shaping these outcomes? This thesis examines how the paradox of Latino conservative mobilization under Trump emerged, specifically through the activities of the central Political Action Committee (PAC) Latino Americans for Trump. Through a qualitative, multi-source analysis that includes social media content, public statements by key figures, media discourse, a pro-Trump song, and more, my findings indicate the PAC deliberately ignored some of the harsh realities of Latinos under Trump. Instead, they made the tactical choice to focus on economic appeals, elevated the visibility of conservative Latinos, targeted specific demographic subgroups, characterized Trump to be a “savior,” and capitalized on Latino assimilation fears.

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