President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are reportedly maintaining its increased support among black voters.
CNN analyst Harry Enten broke down the numbers during a recent broadcast. He noted that “President Trump and the Republican Party are chipping away at the long-term advantage that Democrats have had with black voters.”
He noted that Trump’s approval rating among black Americans went from 12 percent in his first term to 16 percent in his second. “He’s gaining ground,” Enten pointed out.
“And you say this isn't that big of a shift but I will tell you Republicans absolutely love this shift that's going on because Democrats have had such a long-term advantage,” the analyst said. “The fact that he is actually gaining ground versus where he was in term number one, this has major implications for elections down the line.”
Enten speculated that this shift “could have major ramifications and help put Republicans over the top at a number of Southern places in midterm elections” and that this is “part of a bigger trend” because “Donald Trump’s Republican Party is absolutely gaining ground.”
He noted that the GOP itself has also gained traction in the black community. He noted that during Trump’s first term, Democrats had a 63-point advantage over Republicans. Now, that number has dropped to 51 points.
“Again we're looking at Trump's approval rating and we even see it to a wider degree among the party ID margin where all of a sudden there are a number of African Americans who walk away from the Democratic Party and a number of them walking into the Republican tent,” Enten said.
Trump's GOP is holding on to the generational gains they made with Black voters in the 2024 election.
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) April 30, 2026
The GOP has gained 12 pts on the Dems on party id with African Americans vs. Trump term 1 at this point.
Trump's approval with Black voters is higher than it was in term 1. pic.twitter.com/EKiEv561jk
In the 2024 presidential election, Trump almost doubled his support among black voters compared to the share he earned in 2020, according to Pew Research Center. In eight 2020, he garnered eight percent of the black vote, compared to 15 percent in 2024.
This is good news for the GOP as more black Americans are abandoning the Democratic Party. But what isn’t clear is why many are switching sides. It could be less about supporting the GOP and more about rejecting Democrats.
It’s also worth noting that Trump performed better with black voters than his predecessors mainly because he actively courted the black community while previous Republican presidential candidates failed to make the effort. This could show that black people are drawn more to Trump than to the GOP itself.