According to the latest Associated Press-NORC poll, most Americans believe that major cities in the United States are facing “serious” crime problems and they express support for President Trump’s crime-fighting policies.
The poll was conducted as the federal government unprecedentedly took control of the Washington D.C. police department and armed National Guard troops patrolled the capital. The results revealed that President Trump’s tough stance on crime has become a relative advantage for him.
Republicans are particularly strong in their belief that crime is a major problem in large cities, with almost 100% acknowledging the issue. Around 70% of independent voters and Democrats share the same view.
Americans living in metropolitan areas are more likely to see crime as a “serious problem” in their own communities.
Tiana Parker, a 30-year-old liberal Democrat living in the outskirts of Seattle, described crime as a “serious problem.” She stated, “I don’t dare to go to Seattle alone, especially as a woman.”
She revealed that she had been sexually assaulted on a train a few years ago and had been followed multiple times while walking on the streets. A fatal shooting incident also occurred near her home last year at a shopping center.
Charles Arnold, an 87-year-old lifelong Republican living in San Diego, expressed relief, saying, “Oh my goodness! Someone finally took action!” A retired electronics technician who served in the Navy, he remarked that while it was shocking to see the National Guard enforcing domestic security missions within the country, it seemed necessary.
President Trump foresaw this critical demand from the public and as a result deployed the National Guard to the District of Columbia and pledged to expand this model to cities across the nation. His overall approval rating has risen from 40% in July to 45%.
The poll found that about half (53%) of American adults approve of Trump’s approach to handling crime.
Support for President Trump’s crime-fighting policies is equal among white and Hispanic adults, with about half of each group surveyed expressing approval. However, Black adults showed significantly lower support for Trump’s crime-fighting policies, with only 27% indicating approval.
On the issue of combating crime, Trump receives far more support from independent voters compared to other issues. Roughly half of independent voters approve of his crime-fighting policies, while only about three out of ten independent voters approve of his handling of the economy, immigration, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, some have raised concerns about deploying active-duty military forces for domestic security purposes.
Tiana Parker agrees that the issue of crime needs to be addressed urgently but believes President Trump’s methods are both wrong and dangerous. She said, “His approach wastes resources and does not truly solve the underlying problems. Instead, it creates deep divides, which I believe is a serious disrespect and betrayal to citizens.”
Mark Hackl, a 49-year-old IT manager living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was formerly a conservative Republican but is now an independent, stated, “I believe that crime is always a problem that needs to be addressed, so to speak, I have always supported law and order.” However, he mentioned that there should be limits to how far things could go, and at a certain point, the results may not prove the legitimacy of the means, “We should not allow active-duty military to carry out tasks within the United States.”
Nevertheless, the majority of the public believes that the federal government should support the DC police force rather than take over control. This indicates that public opinion may change in the coming weeks or months depending on Trump’s active promotion of related actions.
The poll shows that 55% of American adults believe that federal government taking over local police departments is “completely” or “partially” unacceptable.
Republicans overwhelmingly support the federal government’s use of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement, but many are reserved about the federal government taking over local police departments. Approximately half of Republicans find this acceptable, while about one-third oppose it.
David Gehret, a 62-year-old Republican living in rural Narvon, Pennsylvania, believes that Trump’s actions are just right. He said, “Keep going! Protect us!”
Democrats, on the other hand, generally oppose the takeover of police departments and the use of the National Guard.
The poll was jointly conducted by the Associated Press and NORC from August 21st to 25th, surveying 1,182 adults. The sample was drawn from the AmeriSpeak Panel based on probability sampling by NORC to accurately reflect the U.S. population structure, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for the overall adult population.
(Reference: The Associated Press)