USAupdated 1h ago2 min read
AAPIVote And AP-NORC Poll Finds Asian Americans Disenchanted With Trump And Republicans Ahead Of Nov. 3
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Asian American voters' trust in Trump and Republicans declines ahead of midterms. Poll shows Democrats gain ground due to AAPI dissatisfaction with economy and healthcare.
AAPI trust slips
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are increasingly disenchanted with President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to a survey released on Monday by AAPIVote and AP-NORC.
Karthick Ramakrishnan said, "The ranking of issues is similar. But the level is certainly elevated among Asian-Americans," as the poll found Asian Americans laser-focused on the economy and healthcare costs.
The survey tied the shift in views to being the object of ICE raids, detention, visa denial and deportations under the Trump administration.
The poll also found that nine out of ten surveyed AAPI members named the economy as a decisive factor in their choice in the midterm elections, and that healthcare was important for 73% of respondents.
Economy and healthcare drive
The AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll found that about one-quarter of AAPI adults approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president overall, and only about 2 in 10 approve of his performance on the economy. The poll said about 9 in 10 AAPI adults rank the economy as one of the most important issues for the upcoming election, and about 8 in 10 say this about the cost of living.
Karthick Ramakrishnan said, "any gains that he made not only during the 2024 election" have now largely disappeared, as the poll tracked a drop in favorable views of Trump from about 4 in 10 after the election to about 3 in 10 now. Rebecca Larocco, a 45-year-old Korean American in Corning, Iowa, said, "Where I’m at, it’s went up almost $1.50 (a gallon)," linking her uncertainty about Trump’s economic handling to the Iran war continuing to compound gas prices.
ICE detention and election
ICE detained 21,078 people of Asian descent from January 2025 through August 2026, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data analyzed by the Deportation Data Project and Stop AAPI Hate.
The analysis said that figure was 436% more than during the comparable previous period, and it reported that people of Indian descent accounted for 29% of those detained and people of Chinese descent for 26%.
The poll also found that more than half of respondents were concerned about valid ballots being rejected or eligible people being prevented from voting.
Karthick Ramakrishnan said, "Even if people think, 'Oh, Asians generally are better off economically than the US average,' this is where even immigration leads to economic insecurity," framing immigration as a driver of economic anxiety ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.