Trump gets dire New Year's plea in WSJ op-ed as historic voting bloc crumbles
Two Hispanic business powerhouses took the president to task on New Year's Day, warning Donald Trump to listen up or lose big.
Sam Sanchez and Massey Villarreal, co-chairmen of Comité de 100, a bipartisan coalition of Mexican-American and other Hispanic business leaders, issued a stark warning to Trump over his hardline immigration policies in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Together, they said the GOP faces a major voter backlash in 2026 despite 48% of Hispanic voters breaking for Trump in 2024.
"He and his party ought to make a New Year’s resolution for 2026: Listen to Hispanic voters," they said.
Mass deportations of law-abiding workers are decimating U.S. industries including agriculture, construction, elder care, and hospitality, which are bleeding workers and facing soaring costs. The business leaders said they're witnessing how Trump's policies are "eroding support for Republicans."
The numbers don't lie. A stunning 68% of Hispanics now say their situation has worsened in the past year, and 61% blame Trump's economic policies. His approval rating among Latino voters has cratered, with 59% expressing disapproval.
Across the country, Hispanic voters are abandoning Republicans at alarming rates, they noted. Miami elected its first Democratic mayor in 28 years. In Passaic County, New Jersey, which is 43% Latino and which Trump won by 3 points, voters swung 15 points toward the Democrats in the race for governor. Manassas Park, Virginia, saw a stunning 22-point Democratic swing among a nearly 40% Hispanic population.
The business leaders didn't mince words.
"This shift isn’t a blip; it’s potentially a realignment. The Republican Party’s harsh stance on immigration has alienated this demographic," they said.
They concluded: "The Republican Party’s future hinges on its ability to reconnect with Hispanics. As Hispanic business leaders, we’re united in our call for policies that recognize our contributions and protect our families. Any political party that ignores our needs will feel our frustration at the ballot box in 2026."