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Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Nine Ways To Suppress African American Votes—the Republican Playbook
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Give Republican state legislators their due. They work hard to make it as burdensome as possible for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and college students to vote in both state and federal elections. To accomplish this, they first have to pretend that voter fraud is widespread. That is hard enough, since the data conclusively show voter fraud to be exceedingly rare. Then, they must claim that their actions are the only way to restore "election integrity." That's even harder, since selectively disenfranchising huge swaths of the eligible voting population would seem to undermine, not promote, election integrity. Finally, they need to pretend that only illegal voters are affected. For that claim, the tens of thousands of disenfranchised U.S. citizens in states like Kansas and Georgia stand awkwardly in the way. Voters hold up their stickers after visiting a polling place to cast their ballots on Nov. 5, 2024, in Austell, Ga. Voters hold up their stickers after visiting a polling place to cast their ballots on Nov. 5, 2024, in Austell, that poll taxes and literacy tests are illegal, suppressing votes is harder still. But Republican legislators have been equal to the task. Here are their nine favorite tricks: 1. Make voter registration harder. Several Republican-controlled states have taken aim at voter registration drives, which account for disproportionately high percentages of Black and Hispanic registrations. A federal appellate court had to strike down a North Carolina law that intentionally targeted would-be Black registrants with "surgical precision." 2. Purge registered voters. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, running (successfully) for governor in 2017, purged 107,000 eligible voters from the rolls. In Ohio, failing to return a postcard from the state can cost you the right to vote. 3. Require photo IDs. Although voter impersonation is exceptionally rare (more Americans are struck by lightning), many states require voters to present photo IDs. This requirement disproportionately affects racial minorities. At least four solid red states accept gun licenses but not university IDs. Not coincidentally, college students vote overwhelmingly for Democrats while Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to own guns. 4. Require documents that prove U.S. citizenship. To vote in federal elections, individuals already must swear under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizen voting, therefore, is virtually unheard of. Who would risk criminal prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation for the miniscule chance that their one vote would swing an election? Nonetheless, in 2022, Republican bills requiring voters to document their U.S. citizenship were pending in at least 10 state legislatures. The U.S. House has now passed a bill that would require such documentation nationwide. But how do you prove you are a U.S. citizen? More than 21 million Americans—predominantly the poor, African Americans, and young people—lack birth certificates and passports. For married women who have changed their surnames, even birth certificates would be insufficient. Moreover, since most of us don't pack birth certificates or passports when we go to shopping malls, political demonstrations, parks, outdoor concerts, places of worship, or the like, requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship would make voter registration drives impossible. 5. Slash early voting. Democrats vote early in much greater numbers than Republicans. So Republican legislatures have shortened early voting periods in states all across the country; North Carolina and Wisconsin are among the more extreme examples. In a decades-old tradition called Souls to the Polls, Black churchgoers have resisted voter suppression by traveling together to the polls after Sunday services. Republican legislatures in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Georgia have responded by drastically curtailing Sunday voting. 6. Limit ballot drop boxes. Ballot drop boxes avoid long postal delays. They are hard as a rock, safely located, and secure against fraud. Their open hours especially ease the burden on working class voters, particularly those who work nights or irregular shifts. They are used disproportionately by Black voters. But a rash of Republican-led states have banned them entirely or severely shrunk their numbers. In 2020, Texas' Harris County—which was 64 percent Black or Hispanic—had one drop box for its 4.7 million people. 7. Restrict third-party delivery of absentee ballots. Third parties frequently deliver other people's ballots. There is no evidence of widespread abuse, and they are a boon to the elderly and the disabled. Native Americans on tribal reservations sometimes live hours from the polls and lack mail service. Black churches often gather their congregants' ballots and deliver them en masse. Republican-controlled states have responded by imposing particularly severe restrictions. 8. Disenfranchise citizens with criminal convictions. The states vary widely as to which crimes disqualify citizens from voting and when voting rights may be restored. As of 2024, some 4,000,000 U.S. citizens were disenfranchised because of criminal convictions, roughly half of them even after fully serving their criminal sentences. A disproportionate number have been African American; five states, all Republican-controlled, have disenfranchised more than 10 percent of their African American adults because of criminal convictions. 9. Selectively close polling stations. Since 2013, when the Supreme Court effectively gutted the heart of the Voting Rights Act, states with hallowed histories of racial discrimination in voting have ravenously reduced the number and hours of their polling stations—disproportionately in counties with large African American populations. Among the results are long lines and major transportation issues for the affected voters. In 2018, the average wait time in precincts where 90 percent of the populations were white was only 5.1 minutes; in contrast, in precincts where over 90 percent of the voters were nonwhite, the average wait time was 32.4 minutes. In some precincts, wait times exceeded five hours. In 2016, these problems induced an estimated 560,000 eligible voters to sit out the election. Republican strategists have also called for closing polling stations on college campuses, especially in swing states with large in-state student populations. This is not democracy. Stephen Legomsky is the John S. Lehmann university professor emeritus at the Washington University School of Law. He is the author of Reimagining the American Union: The Case for Abolishing State Government (Cambridge University Press, 2025). Professor Legomsky served in the Obama administration as chief counsel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and later as senior counselor to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
America's anti-immigrant fever is starting to break
Patricia Lopez, Tribune News Service Despite President Donald Trump's decade-long demonization of immigrants, an overwhelming majority of Americans are rejecting his message. A new Gallup poll shows that 79% of those polled — a record high — say immigration is good for the country, with only 17% saying it is bad. And the number of Americans who want less immigration is dropping fast. Only 30% now support more restrictions, compared to 55% in 2024. These findings come against the backdrop of the cruelest crackdown on immigration in modern history and may indicate that America's anti-immigrant fever is breaking. Trump, however, just keeps doubling down. He now is on the cusp of building ICE into a domestic army with massive detention capabilities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that the public should expect more raids in more states. 'We're going to come harder and faster, and we're going to take these criminals down with even more strength than we ever have before,' she said, even though ICE's own data shows the vast majority of those arrested — 72% — have no criminal records. Perhaps that's why Americans are turning away from the notion that immigrants constitute an invading force to be repelled and removed. That shift extends to Independents and Republicans. One of the most startling findings in the Gallup poll shows that 64% of Republicans say immigration is a net benefit to the country. Just a year ago that figure stood at 39%. Only 4% of Republicans a year ago believed immigration should remain at current levels. That has now leapt to 36%. It seems unlikely that a shift of this magnitude is attributable only to GOP voters' faith in Trump; otherwise, we would probably not see a small but growing share of Republican voters saying immigration levels should be increased. Moreover, support for other Trump immigration measures is eroding, whether hiring more Border Patrol agents or building a bigger border wall. Notably, support for deportations, one of his signature campaign promises, has fallen more than 10 percentage points since 2024. Other polls have detected a similar shift. A Pew poll in June found flagging support for key Trump restrictions, suspending refugee programs, and greater approval of citizenship for those who earned it. That is affecting Trump's approval ratings on his defining issue. Gallup found that 62% of the public (and 69% of independents) disapprove of his handling of immigration, with 45% disapproving strongly. Worse still, his draconian approach is costing him his newfound support among Hispanics, who proved critical to his narrow win over Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024. Only 21% approve of his immigration policies. Hispanics make up nearly 20% of the US population, and even if Trump does not run again, members of his party will carry that burden of disapproval into the next election. Unlike crackdowns from earlier eras, social media is playing a pivotal role in this one. Trump can't control the narrative here against an endless stream of TikTok videos and Instagram Reels that show the brutal reality of roundups and raids, family separations, arrests and lockups. What is the average American to make, for instance, of videos showing agents mounted on horseback and soldiers in full tactical gear sweeping across Los Angeles' MacArthur Park on an otherwise peaceful Saturday, with a summer day camp in full swing? Or of a 57-year-old California farm worker chased by ICE agents only to fall off a greenhouse roof to his death? Or of surgical staff in Oxnard, California, seen struggling to block ICE agents' entry into their center in pursuit of the center's Honduran landscaper? Americans don't want this, even if former President Joe Biden did make his share of mistakes on immigration. Among his biggest were allowing criminals to remain at large and neglecting the crisis at the border until it reached powder keg proportions. And Trump's swift action at the border paid off — and allayed the concerns of a majority of Americans. By June, illegal border crossings had plummeted to their lowest levels since the 1960s. With the border crisis quelled, Americans are reverting to their longstanding views on immigration: They don't want to see it escalate out of control, but they do see a place for it. Polls have shown support for the basic elements of comprehensive reform: tighter borders and ports of entry, coupled with a humane approach to those who come to the US to work. Instead of taking the win, Trump's pendulum keeps swinging further to the right. Despite reports of horrific conditions at 'Alligator Alcatraz,' the tented detention camp deep in the Florida Everglades, the White House is urging states to build their own versions. Red states have responded with gusto. 'We don't have alligators, but we have lots of bears,' an official for Alaska told Fox News' Laura Ingraham. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted on X that her state has 'a swamp and a dream. South Carolina's gators are ready.' Such comments reflect a disturbing, ride-'em-cowboy attitude that may play to MAGA fanboys online, but is deeply out of sync with the public at large. The result is a widening gap between the indiscriminate brutality of the Trump administration's methods and what Americans are willing to tolerate. That gap will only grow larger, as will the inevitable backlash.
News18
5 days ago
- Business
- News18
POTUS Trump Is Fluttering Many A Dovecote To His Country's Own Detriment
Last Updated: Business owners and workers across the US are reeling from the chaos and confusion unleashed by Trump's trade policy Ever since his inauguration for a second term on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump has been initiating dramatic and drastic measures both on the domestic and foreign fronts. First, he challenged the age-old citizenship law that conferred US citizenship on anyone born in the country. His amendment said that principle of law despite its hoary antiquity across the globe would apply only to the children born to the US citizens. That stopped what is known as birth tourism much to the chagrin of the Democrats and resentment of Hispanics from Cuba and Mexico. And with the US Supreme Court upholding this seminal amendment a few days ago, this has been his sole victory thus far in governance marked by cantankerousness. In a way that was the first concrete measure towards ushering in America is for the Americans fierce and triumphalist assertion. His much-vaunted attempt to downsize the US bureaucracy and federal spends under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative by a massive $2 billion came almost unstuck after Elon Musk at its helm threw up his hands apparently in exasperation, citing expiration of 130 days to actualise its mission which BTW achieved only one thing—abolition of Department of Education. Musk perhaps realised that he had bitten more than he could chew and that the nation after all needed a bare-bones bureaucracy like inland security, FDA, FBI, Federal Reserve and so forth. That marked the break in the Trump-Musk bromance. Their fascination with cryptocurrencies however has dark portents— undermining the greenback the only legal tender of the USA. Musk, a couple of years ago, wanted to accept Bitcoin in return for Tesla cars. The incipient move to usher in a dual currency regime was repelled by the Federal Reserve and other authorities on the legal and tenable ground that only the US dollar enjoys the legal tender status in the country. But the never-say-die spirit in Musk has revived the idea again this time round for his new favourite cryptocurrency Dogecoin which is being accepted for online sales of Tesla cars and for acquiring special privileges in the X social media platform which, too, is owned by Musk once again in the process thumbing his nose at the authorities. There are also reports of Trump Administration winking at cryptocurrencies, which has no body to kick and no soul to damn, in order to give a leg-up to the cryptocurrency being toyed with by his family under its World Liberty Financial (WLF). Although pegged to the US dollar, its propping up has sent shock waves in knowledgeable circles. How can the ruling dispensation marginalise the country's own legal tender which holds sway as much within the country as abroad, is the refrain. Remember cryptocurrencies have no sovereign guarantees much less have underlying assets such as commodity currencies like the Australian dollar. Now let us shift focus to his conduct of international relations. He has made X formerly tweet as his favorite medium of communication to leaders of India, Pakistan, Iran and Israel. He announced ceasefire between India and Pakistan on X and a few weeks down between Israel and Iran, more with view to seeking publicity among his domestic audience. Not satisfied with propping up and provoking Israel to strike Iran, he ordered his Air Force to drop bunker busters on four nuclear facilities in Iran with a view to defanging it which by the way is a signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and went on to rationalize it as being necessary to end the Israel-Iran standoff just as it sought to end the Second World War by dropping atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th and 9th August respectively of 1945. Touche! Did he know the Holocaust vaporized some two lakh human bodies leaving no mortal remains? It was as despicable as Hitler slaughtering some six million Jews in gas chambers. That the resultant moves to impeach him was stillborn doesn't make his jingoistic tendencies acceptable. In the course of all these, he ticked off his own intel director Tulsi Gabbard who contradicted his claim that Iran was making nuclear bombs. His tariff retaliation regime that kicked in on April 2, 2025, the so-called liberation day, has been chaotic with more than 50 new or revised tariffs, pauses, backdowns, escalations and de-escalations in a clutter of confusion. Business owners and workers across the US are reeling from the chaos and confusion unleashed by Trump's trade policy which bears out the critics who averred that his ham-handedness would hurt the US more. With just two trade frameworks inked and dozens to go before the July 9 deadline, that timeframe appears increasingly unlikely to be adhered to. America's economy might be taking a turn for the worse as a result of this confrontationist approach to trade. If he wants to make America great again, he has to goad investments in import-substituting activities and his workers to settle for more reasonable wages till the US catches up with the Asian giants China, the master of reverse engineering, might give Musk's Tesla a run for its money with its extremely competitive electric cars. Protectionism is not the answer to the US's trade deficit problem. The writer is a senior columnist. His X account is @smurlidharan. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views view comments First Published: July 04, 2025, 13:20 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump's Approval Rating With Hispanics Surges, New Poll Shows
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's approval rating with Hispanics is surging, a new poll from The Economist and YouGov shows Tuesday. Why It Matters Hispanic voters have long served as a crucial and growing demographic in national elections, traditionally supporting Democratic candidates. According to Pew Research Center, 61 percent of Hispanic voters supported former President Joe Biden in 2020. The group has historically favored Democratic candidates, with 71 percent backing Barack Obama in 2012 and 66 percent supporting Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to Pew Research Center, citing exit polls. However, in the 2024 election, the Democratic margin narrowed significantly: 51 percent supported Democrat Kamala Harris, while 48 percent supported Donald Trump, marking a historic high for a Republican candidate in modern times, Pew Research Center reports. When Trump returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with high approval figures. But the president saw his numbers dip after months marked by economic strife and criticism over other policies like the president's handling of immigration and his recently passed tax bill. The up-and-down nature of approval polls can paint a picture of the landscape heading into the 2026 elections, where Democrats hope to regain control of the House and the Senate. What To Know In the poll, the president's approval rating with Hispanics is 35 percent. The survey was conducted from July 11 to July 14 among 1680 U.S. adult citizens. The poll's margin of error is 3.4 percent. Trump's overall approval rating in the survey is 41 percent versus a 55 percent disapproval rating. The week prior, the president's approval rating with Hispanics was 26 percent, a difference of 9 percent compared to Tuesday's number. That poll was taken from July 4 to July 7 among 1528 U.S. adult citizens. The margin of error was 4 percent. Trump's overall approval rating in the survey is 42 percent versus a 53 percent disapproval rating. The president's approval rating with Hispanics in June and July peaked at 38 percent in a poll taken from May 30 to June 2. Week over week, Trump's approval rating with men shrank 5 percent, and grew 3 percent with women and millennials. President Donald Trump can be seen answering questions from reporters while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House on July 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by... President Donald Trump can be seen answering questions from reporters while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House on July 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) More What People Are Saying Columbia University Political Science Professor Robert Y. Shapiro told Newsweek via email Tuesday: "If this is larger increase than for other groups it is hard to evaluate. Approval ratings increase when there is more good news than bad news reported about presidents. I can only speculate that this increase was a cumulative effect of the good news about Iran bombing of nuclear facilities. This was the best news that Trump has received of late; next might be the last jobs report." What Happens Next As the 2026 midterms near, both parties are likely to intensify their outreach to Hispanic voters—a demographic whose support may prove decisive in key battleground districts. Ongoing polling will clarify whether Trump's uptick in Hispanic approval sustains or reverses, especially if economic and immigration concerns persist among this group.
Buzz Feed
7 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Key Issue Turning Americans Against Trump, CNN Data Shows
CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten on Monday used just one word to sum up Americans' souring views on Donald Trump's handling of immigration. 'Oof!' said Enten in a segment with CNN's Kate Bolduan. Enten pointed to five separate polls from mid to late June showing the president's net approval rating (percent approval minus percent disapproval) on immigration ranging from -7 (Fox) to -27 (Gallup). He described the range of Trump's net approval ratings as 'bad to just downright terrible.' 'The American people have turned against President Donald Trump on what was his best issue,' Enten said. The segment comes just over a month after Enten spotted how Trump's net approval rating on immigration had shot 'up like a rocket' when comparing polling from early June to data from June 2017. The president's aggressive immigration policies have intensified over the course of his second term, with massive raids of legal cannabis farms in California last week — one of which saw a worker fall from a roof, later dying from his injuries, as hundreds of others were arrested. Enten, when asked if there are signs that the polling trend is affecting Trump's overall net approval rating, turned to how the president's net approval rating with Hispanics dropped by double digits over the past few months. In February, Trump was doing 'pretty gosh darn good for a Republican' as his net approval rating with Hispanics sat at -2, per polling from CBS News/YouGov. By June, less than a year after his 'historic performance' with Hispanic voters in the fall, that figure fell to -26, per Enten. 'Now he's basically back where he was during his first term, which is quite a low approval rating, one which has brought his overall approval rating down amongst the entire electorate,' Enten explained. The data analyst went on to point to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement's net approval rating went from averaging 0 during Trump's first term to reaching -17 last month. He added that the immigration crackdowns haven't just brought Trump down, but they've brought ICE 'down with him.'
