As Trump escalates racially charged attacks on congresswomen of color, survey finds racist beliefs among a significant percentage of Trump voters in swing states
(Washington, DC) — Today, Investing in US, in collaboration with The Collective PAC, Voto Latino and the Latino Victory Fund released a poll exploring attitudes about race in eleven swing states that may decide the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The survey, commissioned by Investing in US, and conducted by Change Research, finds that a significant percentage of Trump voters in eleven swing states harbor racist attitudes.
The poll release comes at a key moment in American politics almost two years after the Charlottesville riots and as President Trump doubles down his attacks on immigrants and communities of color ahead of the 2020 election and his actions remain unchecked by Republican lawmakers.
Key survey findings include:
- By a 2 to 1 margin, Trump voters believe that America must “protect and preserve its White European heritage.”
- Eighty-one percent of Trump voters agree that discrimination against whites is as big a problem as against people of color, while 8% disagree
- Fifty-seven percent of Trump voters are bothered when they come in contact with immigrants who speak little or no English, while 23% are not bothered.
- 86% of Trump supporters don’t believe that America has a responsibility to accept refugees.
Change Research surveyed 2,028 registered voters in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin from May 13-15, 2019. The survey was modeled in part on nationwide surveys conducted in 2017 and 2018 by Ipsos and Reuters, in association with the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
You can read additional background on the survey and findings here.
Tamer Mokhtar, a partner at Investing in US sees the data as cause for action:
“Investing in US works with partners to strengthen our democracy. In the current climate, that includes fighting the disturbing and profound rise of racism and bigotry in American politics. We wanted to know, are KKK demonstrations and “Unite the Right” rallies symbolic one-offs, or do these toxic attitudes permeate significant factions of the US electorate? We commissioned this poll to shed light on the magnitude of this issue in the states that will determine our election. This data serves as a resource for groups fighting racism across this country, and should be a rallying cry for action.”
Quentin James, the co-founder and Executive Director of The Collective PAC, a group working to address the underrepresentation of African Americans in government called the data troubling, yet not surprising:
“The question we have been asking ourselves is did Trump simply increase the visibility of hate groups by creating a safe environment for racists and bigots? Or, are racism and bigotry intensifying because of this rhetoric? The results of this poll clearly show that both are the case. It’s time for Republican leaders to confront racism within their own party and condemn Trump’s attacks on minorities and communities of color. ”
Luis A. Miranda Jr., Chairman of the Latino Victory Fund, said:
“This poll confirms a disturbing rise in prejudice against our Latino and immigrant communities among voters who will determine the outcome of our next election. Many of President Trump’s supporters are aggravated by immigrants simply speaking their native language, and an overwhelming majority do not believe that this country has a responsibility to accept refugees. President Trump’s rhetoric and actions against communities of color are having a profound impact on the fabric of our society. Our elected leaders cannot look away, we must confront racism and bigotry, and demand better.”
María Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino says the data demonstrates the need for inclusive government:
“Latinos across the country and in swing 2020 states are becoming an increasingly powerful and vocal portion of the electorate, yet our voice remains largely excluded from mainstream American politics. A strong democracy is an inclusive democracy, and this data reinforces the need to pushback against the President’s racist rhetoric and for increased representation of Latino communities across the country.”
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About Investing in US: Investing in US (IIU) is a political investment group built in the mold of risk capital venture investment firms with the sole focus of making the ecosystem of American democracy more resilient and resistant to forces that undermine the representative spirit of our constitution. IIU provides seed funding to organizations with a bias towards exceptional founders with smart and disruptive ideas. Within IIU’s portfolio are legal entities, media/training/security platforms, and voter engagement organizations among others.
About The Collective PAC: The Collective PAC is working to fix the challenge of African American underrepresentation in elected seats of power throughout our nation. Since 2016, The Collective has raised over $6.5 million from over 47,000 contributions from all 50 states, helping elect 54 black candidates to public office on the local, state and federal level and training over 500 candidates and campaign operatives how to win. To learn more, visit www.collectivepac.org.
About Latino Victory Fund: The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political organization working to grow Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government. From school boards to state legislatures and Congress to the White House, Latino Victory identifies, recruits, trains and supports candidates for public office. Latino Victory Fund has endorsed and supported more than one hundred Latino candidates — a majority of them have been Latinas.
About Voto Latino: Voto Latino is a pioneering civic media organization that seeks to transform America by recognizing Latinos’ innate leadership. Through innovative digital campaigns, pop culture, and grassroots voices, we provide culturally relevant programs that engage, educate and empower Latinos to be agents of change. Together, we aim to build a stronger and more inclusive democracy.
