United States President Donald Trump reportedly used an official conference call on Wednesday to call for the support of Hispanic leaders. According to reports, the White House call was aimed to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference touched base with many issues related to Latin America. It included a "bailout" package for multiple states, the Paycheck Protection Program, and the use of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients infected with the coronavirus. The president also talked about a possible executive order for businesses owned by members of the Hispanic community. According to the accounts of the participants, Trump did not make any commitments. Two of the participants claimed the questions and comments came from his supporters.

Election Polls

The League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC) said individuals involved in the call were all from a "prepared list of known Trump supporters." Sindy Benavides, CEO of the Hispanic organization, claimed the president mentioned Election Day multiple times throughout the call. According to Benavides, the president directly asked the attendees to vote for him and get other Hispanics to choose him. Failure to do so would lead to a massive depression, Trump reportedly claimed.

A recent poll conducted by Telemundo found that one in every four Latin Americans would choose to re-elect Trump in the 2020 election-that's equal to roughly 30 percent of the Latino votes. In the 2016 exit polls, the president garnered 28 percent of the Latino vote, whereas Senator Bob Dole only got 21 percent of the Latino vote during the 1996 election. In 2012, only 27 percent of all Latin Americans cast a vote for Senator Mitt Romney. However, Trump is still outmatched by Senator John McCain, who earned 31 percent of the Latino vote in 2008, or President George W. Bush's 40 percent in 2004.

Does Latino Votes Matter?

Latin Americans count for a lot of the votes. The Latino community is made up of a young population with a staggering rate of new voters each year. According to the electorate data released by the Pew Research Center, Hispanic voters are expected to make up 13.3 percent of eligible voters in the upcoming election, making them the largest minority group in this year's election. In raw numbers, there will be over 32 million Hispanics eligible to vote in 2020. The increase is said to be attributed to immigration and naturalization

According to a news outlet, a new poll showed over 45 percent of Latinos approved the president's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. While Biden still remains the choice of the majority of Hispanic voters, more than 20 percent still chose Trump. Several polls conducted in battleground states showed the president receiving slightly more than 20 percent of Latino voters.

Latinos are set to become the largest nonwhite voters this fall. The Democratic candidates believe a record turnout from the Hispanic voters can lead to significant victories that may help them secure the White House.

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