Social and Intergroup PsychologySocial Media and PoliticsMedia Influence and Politics

Melissa Santillana, J. Stepniewski, Zhi Lin, Thomas J. Johnson, Daniel Barth

2026.4.13JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY

DOI: 10.1177/10776990261431832

Abstract

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump captured a substantial share of the Latinx vote, renewing debates about identity, media effects, and political behavior. This study examines how nativist attitudes and hyper-conservative media consumption shape support for Trump, with particular attention to racial and national identity. Using a moderated mediation model, we find that nativism and hyper-conservative media consumption both increase support for Trump. Racial/ethnic identity buffers these media effects among non-Latinx respondents but intensifies them among Latinx individuals with high identity salience. These findings complicate assumptions about the role of ethnic or racialized identities in polarized media environments.

Citation format

SANTILLANA, Melissa, et al. Voto latinx: Nativist attitudes, hispanic identity, and the influence of hyper-conservative media. JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY, 2026.