Trump Holds Hispanic Heritage Month Event at the White House

President Trump held a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the White House on Wednesday. The midterm elections are just weeks away, and Democrats have been gaining support among Latino voters. Trump invited Hispanic leaders, supporters, and top officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio to attend the gathering.

During his nearly one-hour speech, Trump praised Hispanic people, calling them "hard-working," "smart," and "energetic." He also made jokes about a construction site at the White House where his new ballroom is being built. He warned guests not to fall off the edge, adding, "Only a Hispanic could survive that fall." Many people found the comment to be in poor taste.

For most of his speech, Trump did not talk much about Hispanic Heritage Month at all. Instead, he spoke about his ballroom renovation, the war in Iran, and how the party in power usually loses seats in midterm elections. He even admitted that he mentioned the purpose of the event "a little late in the speech" — at the 22-minute mark.

Trump's speech showed how he often mixes personal topics with political ones. He made only a few short references to immigration and the economy, even though those issues are hurting his approval ratings. He also said that he and his team were not doing a good enough job telling people about his accomplishments, saying, "I've done a very bad job of explaining how good the country is doing."

Trump's approval rating among Hispanic voters has dropped sharply. A recent New York Times/Siena poll showed that only 26 percent of Hispanic voters approve of the job he is doing. On the cost of living, only 8 percent approved of how Trump has handled prices, and his rating on immigration was also very low.

These numbers matter because Hispanic voters could have a big effect on midterm election results. In national polls, Democratic candidates are leading Republican ones among Hispanic voters by 35 percentage points. That is a very large gap, and it could change the outcome of many races across the country.

Some Republicans have also spoken out against Trump's immigration policies. Representative María Elvira Salazar, who represents a heavily Cuban district in Florida, ran a TV ad saying that Hispanic voters who helped Trump win in 2024 "feel betrayed today." Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia said that ICE was hurting farming communities by removing people who had lived there for many years.

At the event, Trump defended himself and ICE against that criticism. He said managing immigration is the "hardest job" he has had because people always say he is either too tough or too soft. He told the crowd that his administration has been "very strong" on the issue, and the crowd cheered.

Trump ended his speech by urging everyone in the room to vote in the midterm elections and to spread positive messages about the country. He asked supporters to help "turn this around," even if they do not personally like every candidate on the ballot. "It's a vote for good things," he told the crowd.