Why Trump’s racism isn’t an issue – or enough of one – for some voters of color

Experts warn assuming minority groups will reject a racist candidate ignores nuance, particularly on the economy

Since Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election, many have publicly speculated why people of color - with whom Trump made some gains - would vote for a racist candidate. Throughout his campaign, Trump and his supporters spouted a series of racist remarks aimed at Black and Latino people, immigrants at large, and other marginalized groups. He also promised to utilize the military to carry out mass deportations, ban sanctuary cities, and escalate attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the federal level.

Swaths of non-white voters still supported Trump at the ballot box. And though this sort of data can vary in reliability, experts agree that Trump made inroads among some minorities despite his bigoted comments.