Donald Trump kicked off his presidential campaign by claiming that Mexico was responsible for bringing criminals and rapists to the United States, and he has not exactly endeared himself to the Hispanic community since.

But some Latinos - about 14 percent, according to a recent Gallup Poll - still hold a favorable view of the real estate tycoon-turned White House hopeful, NJ Advance Media reported.

Trump's Hispanic backers cite his promise to rein in the national debt and the drawbacks they see in some of his GOP challengers as the reasons for their support. But some, such as a naturalized citizen identified only as "Elizabeth," also defend the 69-year-old's stance on immigration, a focus group conducted by Republican pollster Frank Luntz suggested.

"He's right; he's not against Mexicans, (but) he's against illegal immigration," the Latina argued. "Why do I like him? I came here. I did everything right to become a resident. It took me 10 years," Elizabeth said, alluding to the complex bureaucracy faced by legal immigrants to the United States.

The woman admitted that Trump's abrasive rhetoric initially upset her enough to buy a piñata with his likeness. But now, "I believe he's a patriot who loves America," she said. "So while I bought a Donald Trump piñata, I don't feel like beating that piñata (any more)," Elizabeth concluded.

Nevertheless, Trump's image among Latinos remains largely negative, and 65 percent within the constituency hold an unfavorable view of the candidate. And even though the conglomerate that runs his businesses has tried to bury the hatchet with Hispanic media, Trump still receives little positive coverage on key Hispanic newscasts, the Washington Post noted.

The anchor of Univision's "Noticiero Univision" Jorge Ramos admitted this week that his feud with the real estate tycoon turned presidential candidate was "personal," AdWeek's TVNewser recalled. "When he's talking about immigrants, he's talking about me," Ramos said about Trump.

Ramos, who the Washington Post says enjoys "outsized influence with Latino viewers of nightly newscasts," had called the Republican front-runner "the loudest voice of intolerance, division, and hatred right now in America" following the GOP's first presidential debate, Mediaite said.