‘Paycheck to paycheck’: Texas border voters shed parties amid economic woes

Rio Grande Valley, Texas – Jesus Robles sells mechanical bulls.Mainstays of bars and dance halls, once used to train rodeo riders, the bucking behemoths point to the Rio Grande Valley’s history, where Mexican and Texan Ranchero culture have long intertwined.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Texas Republican group seeks to block certification of state’s electionlist 2 of 3Trump administration renews bid to block Alaska election resultslist 3 of 3US weighs new Iran strikes as Vance reaches out: Is war or a deal closer?end of listBut the business has also been a nagging reminder of Robles’s 2024 vote, when he cast his ballot for US President Donald Trump, expecting an economic boost that would allow the company to flourish.“I have lost tonnes of business due to our president right now,” he said, blaming Trump’s tariffs and rising fuel prices. “I ship a lot. The price of freight has doubled…. Some of my clients have been affected by immigration raids.”Voters like Robles in 2024 helped reinforce the notion that the Rio Grande Valley, a Latino-dominated area long seen as reliably Democratic, was shifting Republican, bucking liberal hopes the ever-growing demographic would fin...