On the eve of the election, Trump and Harris compete for the support of the Latino community.

• This week, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris held competing rallies in New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona to secure the Latino vote before Election Day.
• Despite Democrats traditionally having a stronghold on Latino voters, their support has decreased to a record low in the past four presidential elections, while Trump has gained ground among Latino men.
• In New Mexico, Trump focused on immigration and border security, while Harris emphasized the economy and criticized Trump's immigration stance.

This week, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris focused on southwestern states in their campaign efforts to secure the Latino vote, with just five days remaining until Election Day.

In the upcoming election, Latino voters make up approximately 14.7% of all eligible voters, according to Pew Research Center. New Mexico, where Trump campaigned on Thursday, has the highest percentage of Latino voters at around 45% of the population. California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada follow closely behind with significant shares of Latino voters. While California and Texas are reliably blue and red, respectively, Arizona and Nevada are battleground swing states where Harris held her rallies.

Despite Democrats traditionally having a stronghold among Latino voters, their advantage has decreased in the past four presidential cycles, particularly due to Trump's success in winning over Latino men. Experts attribute this decline to issues such as inflation and the cost of living crisis, which voters tend to trust Trump more on than Harris.

"Trump stated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday that his purpose for being there was straightforward: he likes the crowd very much and it benefits his reputation among the Hispanic or Latino community. Afterward, he requested the crowd not to waste his time."

Although the state leans blue, President Biden won by 10.8 points in 2020 and Hillary Clinton won by 8.3 points in 2016, Trump believes he can change it.

Trump stated that he believes he won the presidential election in New Mexico twice, in 2016 and 2020, but the results were rigged. He is confident that he can win the state again this year.

Trump stated, "Our victory in this state is guaranteed because you have some of the country's worst border issues, and I alone possess the solution."

This week, the Trump campaign faced controversy when comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made racist remarks about Latinos at a rally in Madison Square Garden, potentially harming Trump's support among Latino voters.

Trump has not personally apologized for his campaign officials' quick distancing from his remarks about Latinos and Puerto Rico.

While Trump's speech in New Mexico primarily focused on immigration and border security, a recent CNBC poll ranked the issue as only the fourth most important concern for Latino voters, with inflation, jobs, and threats to democracy being more pressing issues. Despite this, the poll revealed that more Latinos believe immigration benefits the country than harms it. However, the ratio was the smallest since 2006.

In Phoenix, Arizona, Reno, and Las Vegas, Nevada, Harris held three rallies and presented an economic pitch to voters while criticizing Trump's stance on immigration.

"In the remaining five days of the campaign, my opponent is delivering his closing argument to the American people. His argument is filled with hate and division, as he targets Latinos and immigrants with insults and scapegoating. It is not just his words, but also his actions that are concerning. If elected, he will bring back family separation policies on a much larger scale than before."

On Thursday, Harris invited Latino musicians to perform before her speech in Las Vegas, including Jennifer Lopez, who emphasized her Puerto Rican heritage and addressed immigrant and Latino voters.

"Lopez stated that Trump consistently works to divide people. At Madison Square Garden, he revealed his true nature and feelings, which offended not only Puerto Ricans but also every Latino in the country."

As the election date approaches, both campaigns have intensified their efforts to reach out to Latino voters. Trump recently held a roundtable with Latino business leaders in Florida, while Telemundo aired a pre-recorded interview with Harris.