The GOP is more diverse under Trump. Conservatives, why aren’t we talking about it? | Opinion

The Republican Party has changed dramatically under President Donald Trump’s leadership. Once characterized primarily by its appeal to college-educated white voters, the GOP has emerged as a more diverse coalition than at any point since the Civil Rights era, and that’s a good thing.

There hasn’t been a lot of talk about the diversity Trump has brought to the Republican party, but I think it’s something conservatives should be talking about. Miami-Dade County, in the last election, is a good example. In a county where Latinos make up roughly 68% of the population, the county flipped Republican in 2024 by double digits for the first time in 30 years. This was an impressive win for Republicans in a county once considered a Democratic stronghold, and it highlights a change in the party.

Trump’s influence has broadened the GOP’s appeal. In fact, according to the New York Times, “Trump has made larger gains among Black, Hispanic, Asian American and young voters in his three campaigns since 2016 than he has among white voters without a college degree.” While Asians, Blacks, and Latinos still make up a small percentage of the Republican party, 15% according to Pew Research, this shift helped Trump win both the electoral college and the popular vote in 2024.

As someone who has worked on various statewide conservative campaigns in Florida, I’ve watched the transformation of the party firsthand. Traditionally, Republican statewide campaigns focused on the Interstate 4 corridor to win elections in Florida, while Democratic strongholds in South Florida such as Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties were often written off. But after Sen. Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election to President Barack Obama, Republicans conducted a critical postmortem on the election loss and re-imagined their playbook.

Florida Republicans embraced the new strategy of investing heavily in grassroots voter outreach and registration, and the results speak for themselves.

The Sunshine State has become a Republican stronghold, with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump at the center of its transformation. As a Reagan Republican, it’s been been hard for me to watch the ideological shift in the party to the far right but the diversity Trump has brought more accurately reflects the fabric of America.

In 2018, America was projected to become a majority-minority country by 2045, and based on 2020 census data, the country is diversifying at a faster rate. Nationwide, Latino-majority counties shifted toward Trump by an average of 10 percentage points in 2024.

The Republican party has crafted messaging with Trump at the helm to court voters — specifically young voters of color. The Republican Party’s messaging on economic populism, border security and law-and-order is attracting younger voters and expanding its base in ways unimaginable a decade ago.

That has been unprecedented in the modern era. If this trend continues, Republicans are in a strong position to stay in power for the foreseeable future.

The Democratic Party’s mistake has been wrongly assuming their base would remain loyal when policies fail to deliver results. Today’s electorate increasingly votes along economic class lines, a shift that is benefiting the GOP.

When Republicans talk about entrepreneurship, lower taxes and economic mobility rather than identity politics, it resonates with voters and connects with their concerns. During the 1992 election, Democratic strategist James Carville said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” In 2025, that message still holds true, but for whatever reason, the Democrats have abandoned it.

Meanwhile Republicans have adapted to speak directly to the kitchen-table issues that matter to all Americans regardless of their ethnic background. This new coalition represents the future of the Republican Party.

And while the Republican Party is no longer the party of Reagan-era conservatism, it’s home to a multi-ethnic, working-class coalition and that would make the Gipper proud.

Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com

This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 12:46 PM.