Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar, serving her third term representing Florida's 27th Congressional District, filmed a television ad warning President Trump that he has "gone too far" on immigration—a public rebuke that exposes deepening fractures within the GOP over Latino voter support.
In the ad, filmed outside the White House, Salazar spoke directly to Trump: "The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today." Trump responded on TruthSocial by sharing a post calling her a "back stabber." Salazar told NPR she did not view the comments as attacks and said she had spoken with the President directly.
"I told him, 'You know, what I'm telling you is what my people are feeling,'" Salazar said. "This is Democracy where we tell the boss, 'hey, this is what's happening in my neck of the woods.' And that's exactly what I did."
Salazar's district, centered in Miami-Dade County, is more than 70 percent Latino. The group proved decisive in 2024: Trump narrowed Democrats' advantage with Latino voters nationally to three points, down from 25 points in 2020, according to Pew Research Center. Cuban Americans, the largest Latino group in her district, have been reliable Trump supporters—but the administration's deportation agenda has strained those ties as it affects family members and friends.
Signs of strain are visible on the ground. Last week, a police arrest at Máximo Gómez Park—known as Domino Park—in Miami's Little Havana triggered fears of deportations. At the scene, Republican voter Alejandro Torres blamed inflation on Biden, while Democrat-leaning Ricardo Carracedo blamed Trump. The split mirrors the broader struggle for Latino votes across Florida.
A recent survey by Equis Research of Hispanic and Latino registered voters found 57 percent would support the Democratic candidate for Congress if an election were held today, compared to 31 percent for the Republican candidate. At a Salazar campaign event last Thursday, attendees Mirla Loredo and Ramona Tunon disagreed on whether they sided with Salazar's position or Trump's—a split that underscores the challenge Republicans face in holding a constituency that delivered Trump his margin of victory.
