CNN host wonders if Democrats should drop the 'Latinx' framing

CNN's Kasie Hunt questioned whether Democratic politicians should drop the term "Latinx" on Tuesday as her fellow CNN panelists suggested that it was a term that did not resonate with Latino voters, a demographic Vice President Kamala Harris continues to struggle with.

Hunt asked former Biden White House communications director Kate Bedingfield whether Democrats should abandon the "Latinx framing."

The term, pronounced "Latin-X," has been pushed into the mainstream in recent years by academics, activists, and entertainers as an alternative to the gendered words "Latino" and "Latina," but it has failed to catch on. A Pew Research survey from September found that just 4% of Latino respondents actually use the term, though more Latinos have become aware of the term compared to 2019.

"I could say the Biden campaign in 2020, what we would hear from voters on the ground is it didn‘t necessarily resonate with them," Bedingfield responded.

A CNN panel discussed on Tuesday what might be contributing to Kamala Harris' low numbers among Hispanic voters, and whether Democrats should drop the "Latinx" framing. (Screenshot/CNN)

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"It felt a lot more like language that people who were, again, professional, political professional, political class was using," she added, noting again that it didn't feel like it resonated with Latin American voters.

According to a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll, Harris has fallen back in support among Latino and Black voters. 

The new poll found Latino voters now back Trump by 49% to 38%. Black voters prefer Harris by 72% to 17%, but that 55-point edge is significantly less than the advantage Democrats traditionally enjoy.

Hunt also spoke to GOP Miami Mayor Francis Suarez about why Latinos are shying away from the Democratic Party.

Vice President Kamala Harris listens as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Georgia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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"The Democrats have had four years under this administration and Hispanics don‘t see a record of success," Suarez said. "Democrats monolithically branding Hispanics as Latinx, something that doesn‘t resonate with the Hispanic community." 

He argued that Hispanics feel the Democratic Party has not listened to them or made their lives better. 

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Axios' Alex Thompson warned earlier in the segment that Harris' push to the far-left in 2019 while running for president was "hurting her" right now. 

Fox News' Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.