How Election Fundamentals and Racialized Considerations Shape Asian American Vote Choice Through the Trump Era

Racial minorities voted for Trump at higher rates in 2024 than in previous elections, prompting renewed interest in the factors driving minority vote choice. Here, we focus on Asian Americans, the fastest growing single-race group in the United States. Bridging theories of economic voting and race-centered explanations, we present a comprehensive, up-to-date account of Asian American vote choice through the Trump era. We analyze the 2024, 2020, and 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Surveys to assess indicators of Trump support over time among Asian Americans, with comparative analysis of Black, Latino, and White voters ( N = 24,061). We find that economic considerations shaped vote choice in 2024 among Asian Americans, and all other racial groups. Linked fate remained associated with lower Trump support among Asian Americans in 2024, indicating that race continued to matter even years after the peak of anti-Asian hate. In comparison, linked fate also shaped opposition to Trump among Black voters but not Latinos in 2024. Throughout the Trump era, racial resentment among non-Black racial groups and anti-immigrant sentiment among all racial groups consistently predicted greater Trump support, including Asian Americans, despite their predominantly immigrant-origin backgrounds. This research contributes to growing scholarship that addresses conservatism among minoritized communities.