While prominent Democrats have become crime-apologists — arguing for defunding the police, allying with disruptive protestors, releasing criminals into American cities, and attempting to block President Trump’s deportations of illegals — Americans agree with the President’s characterization of major cities as “overtaken by violent gangs and criminals”. This is particularly true of Americans living in high-crime regions themselves, with a plurality of urban voters agreeing with the president’s characterization of major cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago as being overtaken by violence and criminal behavior.
According to a Cygnal survey of 1,500 likely voters released Sep. 9, voters say by eleven points, 54 percent to 43 percent, that they agree with President Trump’s characterization of cities as high-crime, and a full 22 percent say Trump’s characterization is “extremely accurate”. Urban voters agree with President Trump’s characterization of cities by eight points, 53 percent to 45 percent. Swing voters agree with the president by a resounding 22 points, 58 percent to 36 percent.
While Black and Hispanic voters disagree with President Trump’s characterization of cities as high-crime, by seventeen points and six points respectively, a sizeable share of minority voters do agree with President Trump. 40 percent of Black voters agree with President Trump’s characterization of cities as high-crime, while 57 percent disagree, and 45 percent of Hispanics agree with the president’s characterization while 51 percent disagree. While voters show mixed opinions on President Trump’s takeover of Washington. D.C., a sizeable share of the public agrees that crime is a serious issue in major cities.
The survey also finds that on a slate of six prominent issues leading into the midterm election cycle, Republicans are trusted over Democrats. Crime and public safety is an area on which voters trust the Republican Party over the Democratic Party significantly, with the survey showing voters trust Republicans by 16 points, 49 percent to 33 percent. Swing voters trust the GOP by a broad 31-point margin, 49 percent to 18 percent, an absolutely crippling number for Democrats leading into the midterm elections. What is more, highly active voters who have voted in four of the most recent major elections also trust the GOP over Democrats on crime. Highly active voters say by 14 points, 48 percent to 34 percent they trust the GOP more on crime.
Voters also strongly trust the GOP over Democrats on illegal immigration and border security according to the survey. Voters say by 22 points, 52 percent to 30 percent, they trust the Republican Party more on handling the illegal immigrant crisis. Swing voters trust the GOP by a broad 34-point margin, 53 percent to 19 percent, signaling that Democrats should not even attempt to run against the GOP on immigration. Highly active voters trust the GOP over the Democratic Party on tackling the illegal immigrant crisis by 21 points, 52 percent to 31 percent.
Voters also trust the Republican Party over the Democratic Party on cutting wasteful spending by 16 points, 43 percent to 27 percent, with swing voters saying they trust the GOP over the Democratic Party by 22 points, 40 percent to 18 percent. On foreign affairs, voters trust the GOP over the Democratic Party by four points, 44 percent to 40 percent, with swing voters trusting the GOP over the Democratic Party by seven points, 37 percent to 30 percent.
The GOP also leads by four points, 45 percent to 41 percent, on the economy and job growth, and by three points, 42 percent to 39 percent, on handling the cost of living. Swing voters trust Republicans more on both issues, with swing voters saying they trust the GOP to handle the economy by seven points, 38 percent to 31 percent, and saying they trust the GOP to handle the cost of living by four points, 32 percent to 28 percent. Notably, highly active voters also trust the Republican Party to handle economic issues. Highly active voters trust the GOP over Democrats to handle the economy and jobs by three points, 45 percent to 42 percent. Highly active voters also trust the GOP over Democrats to handle the cost of living by two points, 42 percent to 40 percent.
By minimizing the crime epidemic and the illegal immigrant crisis, Democrats are alienating the public. This includes alienating a plurality of both swing voters and highly active voters, groups the Democratic Party cannot afford to lose in 2026. Voters are also distancing themselves from the Democratic Party on tackling economic issues like inflation and job creation, as well as foreign policy issues and cutting wasteful spending. Despite attempting to dismantle conservative solutions such as President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on trading partners and focus on creating jobs for U.S.-born citizens, Democrats are losing the people. Combine this with the reality that President Donald Trump’s make America healthy again, or “MAHA”, movement is one of the administration’s most popular legislative agendas, and it is evident why Democrats are doing everything in their power to distract the public from their failing record on nearly every issue that is important to the American people.
Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.
