Donald Trump made serious inroads with Bronx residents. Here's why.
NEW YORK -- Democrats have watched their margin of victory shrink in New York City in three consecutive general elections.
According to the CBS News data team, a 79.3% margin of victory in 2016 dropped to 45.5% in 2024 in the Bronx.
Residents in the Castle Hill section spoke Thursday about why that might have happened.
Immigration is on the minds of many
According to CUNY Election Atlas data, 84.1% of the 28th Election District in the Bronx voted for Joe Biden in 2020, but that dropped to 67.5% for Kamala Harris four years later.
Just last month, Donald Trump visited the family-owned Knockout barber shop in the Castle Hill neighborhood.
"I think Donald Trump coming to the Bronx changed a lot of minds," Javiel Rodriguez Sr. said.
"Donald Trump made an impact on me and this community. He cares, and that makes me feel like I'm somebody, man," James Villanueva said.
- Read more: Trump wins, Harris says "do not despair" in concession. See the live 2024 election results map
On the surface, the Bronx may seem like a place Trump and Republicans would have struggled due to their strong stance -- and rhetoric -- on the border, and influx of migrants. According to 2020 census data, immigrants make up 36.2% of the borough's population.
However, several of the barber shop's customers said they support Trump's stance.
"A lot of the points that he made about securing the border, that's kind of number one. We gotta stop that," said Amit Balladin, a firefighter who lives nearby.
Inflation and the economy
Whether or not they voted for Trump, people who spoke to CBS News New York described Trump's success in the Bronx as something overwhelmingly simple. They said he showed up and talked to people, and when he did, the issues he was talking about were the issues they had been talking about.
"All the inflation costs. It's taking its toll on these communities -- Castle Hill, Parkchester, Morris Park. It's definitely affecting us," Balladin said.
"People had money in their accounts. Now, it's a little different," said Javiel Rodriguez Jr., who owns the barber shop.
Congressman Ritchie Torres said immigration and inflation are connected.
"The communities that are hit hardest by inflation are the lowest-income communities of color in places like the Bronx. Part of the reason is immigration," Torres said.
Emily Rodriguez, who comes from a family of Puerto Rican immigrants, said Trump's growing support in the Bronx surprises her, but she believes it all comes down to the bottom line.
"They feel that he'll make a difference in the economy," she said.
