Poll: A crack is emerging in Trump’s coalition over deportations

New polling from POLITICO and Public First shows President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign dividing his voter coalition, as more Republican candidates break with him publicly ahead of November's elections. Non-MAGA voters were more than twice as likely as MAGA voters to say the campaign is too aggressive, 31 percent to 14 percent, while MAGA voters were more likely to want it pushed further, 36 percent to 23 percent. Support falls across both groups once enforcement moves beyond violent offenders: most voters back prioritizing people convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes, but fewer than a quarter in either group support prioritizing minor offenders, and backing drops further for deporting longtime undocumented residents or parents of children in the U.S.

The rift became public this month when Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida released a campaign ad saying some of Trump's deportation efforts "have gone too far" and that Hispanic voters who backed him in 2024 "feel betrayed," as Democrats target her district. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas likewise softened his stance on ICE after raids in southwest Kansas caused temporary business and school closures, saying agents need to coordinate with local law enforcement and noting he had spoken with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Marshall's race against Democrat Adam Hamilton has tightened.

White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said POLITICO was "skewing data to paint a false narrative," adding that Trump was elected to deport "the millions of illegal aliens" allowed into the country under Biden.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Politico’s reporting. Read the full story at Politico →