'El Donald' has Hispanic problem as two-thirds of US Latinos say they view him negatively

  • Trump's unfavorability among Latino voters dates back to his June 16 campaign announcement, in which he described some Mexicans as 'criminals' and 'rapists'
  • The billionaire real-estate tycoon has doubled down on the comments multiple times
  • 'Build a wall between the US and Mexico' has become a Trump catchphrase 
  • Read more of the latest news and updates on Donald Trump

By J. Taylor Rushing, U.s. Political Reporter, For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:03 EST, 1 October 2015 | Updated: 05:34 EST, 2 October 2015

He may be ruling the roost in Republican circles, but billionaire Donald Trump has a long way to go to win over a surging swath of the American electorate - Hispanic voters, a new poll has found this week.

Trump, the Manhattan real-estate tycoon whose barnstorming presidential campaign has rocketed to the top of the GOP field in survey after survey, is viewed negatively by 67 percent of Latinos in a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Telemundo survey released Wednesday.

When respondents are included who 'somewhat' or 'very' negatively view Trump, the results are even higher - 72 percent.

Trump is viewed 'very' or 'somewhat' positively by only 11 percent of Hispanic respondents, the poll found

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has made few inroads with Hispanic voters since his June 16 campaign announcement that offended many of them

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has made few inroads with Hispanic voters since his June 16 campaign announcement that offended many of them

Trump's problem with Hispanic voters is resoundingly clear, despite what the billionaire has often said in campaign speeches

Trump's problem with Hispanic voters is resoundingly clear, despite what the billionaire has often said in campaign speeches

Trump's problem with Hispanic voters began on the very first day his campaign began, on June 16 in Manhattan.

Then, Trump said, 'When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.'

'They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.'

But the billionaire survived the media firestorm that resulted from those remarks, prompting him to repeat the sentiment on the campaign trail. He has also refused several invitations to apologize.

Instead, Trump has mocked former party front-runner Jeb Bush for speaking Spanish at campaign events and has publicly noted that Bush has a Mexican-born wife.

He has also called for the mass deportation of illegal immigrants in the US, which are said to number more than 11 million.

Now, the new poll finds those same GOP voters that appear to be lauding Trump's beliefs are now costing the party as a whole as well.

When asked if they view the Republican Party 'very' or 'somewhat' positively, only 24 percent of respondents said yes, compared to 48 percent who said the same of the Democratic Party.

In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney received only 27 percent of the Latino vote, compared to 71 percent who voted for President Obama

In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney received only 27 percent of the Latino vote, compared to 71 percent who voted for President Obama

Trump, shown here at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday, has staked his presidential campaign on immigration reform

Trump, shown here at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday, has staked his presidential campaign on immigration reform

The poll released Wednesday found Trump's low standing among Hispanic voters is shared by the rest of the GOP field, including the party itself

The poll released Wednesday found Trump's low standing among Hispanic voters is shared by the rest of the GOP field, including the party itself

Other GOP presidential candidates are viewed much more favorably by Latinos, although they also pale in comparison to the results for Democrats.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who speaks fluent Spanish and whose wife, Columba, was born in Leon, Mexico, received 'very' or 'somewhat' positive ratings from 29 percent of respondents.

But even he barely broken even, since 27 percent of respondents viewed him negatively. 

By contrast, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton was viewed favorably by 51 percent of respondents.

The NBC/WSJ/Telemundo oversample of Latinos included interviews with 250 Latino adults between September 20 and September 24. The margin of error is +/- 6.20 percent.

 

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