Former President Trump’s Targeted Campaign Strategy: Pitting Identity Groups Against Each Other

Former President Donald J. Trump is making bold and controversial moves in his bid for re-election, targeting Black and Latino voters with divisive rhetoric and identity-based appeals. In a neck-and-neck race against the first Black woman to win her party’s nomination, Mr. Trump is ramping up his efforts to win over these key demographics.

Accusations of migrants poaching “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” have been met with condemnation, but Mr. Trump is undeterred in his strategy. By pitting Black and Latino voters against undocumented immigrants, he hopes to chip away at his opponent’s advantage with these groups.

This targeted campaigning goes beyond traditional political outreach, with Mr. Trump embracing white nationalist themes and making explicit appeals to different identity groups. His message may feel discordant at times, but his campaign believes that even small gains with these demographics could be decisive in a close race.

Despite criticism of his tactics, Mr. Trump continues to court Black and Latino voters through community events and outreach efforts. The Harris campaign, on the other hand, has been conducting extensive outreach in these communities for nearly a year.

As the race heats up, the battle for Black and Latino voters intensifies. Polling shows that Mr. Trump has expanded his support among these groups since 2020, posing a threat to the Democratic coalition. The race may ultimately be decided by the movements of these difficult-to-track voters, making their support crucial in the final stretch of the campaign.