WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new poll commissioned by Vera Action and conducted by YouGov suggests growing skepticism toward federal intervention in crime policy, finding that a plurality of registered voters view President Donald Trump’s recent National Guard deployments as politically motivated rather than grounded in public safety concerns, according to a release by the Vera Institute of Justice.
The polling, conducted online among more than 2,000 registered voters across two samples—1,045 surveyed from Sept. 25 to Sept. 26, 2025, and 1,007 surveyed from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24, 2025—provides insight into how voters perceive Trump’s federal actions on crime, his rhetoric toward Democratic-led cities, and broader partisan divides over safety and policing, according to the institute.
According to the findings, 43% of respondents believe Trump’s motive in deploying the National Guard is “political theater,” compared to 36% who believe the deployments are intended to improve public safety.
Furthermore, the release concluded that a majority of voters believe Trump’s federal actions on crime are unrelated to community safety, with 57% agreeing that Trump does not actually care about public safety.
That perception aligns with broader public distrust toward federal involvement in local policing. When asked which level of government they most trust to address crime in their community, voters overwhelmingly favored state and local leaders over federal officials. The poll revealed that governors led the list with 23% support, followed closely by mayors at 22%, while only 19% said they trusted the president to handle local crime issues. Just 4% placed their confidence in Congress.
The polls found that Republicans maintain an advantage on the issue of crime overall, with 41% of respondents indicating a preference for Republicans on crime issues, while 29% said they prefer Democrats.
Additionally, 56% of respondents said they believe Trump is targeting Democratic-run cities such as Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland to go after political opponents rather than to combat crime.
The data also revealed that 42% of voters blame Republicans for “heightened rhetoric and tensions around crime,” compared to 34% who blame Democrats, suggesting that while Republicans continue to be associated with toughness on crime, their messaging may also be seen as polarizing and contributing to public fear.
According to the release, the polls also depicted a divide over National Guard deployments, with opposition leading slightly. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they oppose the deployments, compared to 42% who support them.
When asked how they would feel about National Guard troops being deployed specifically to their own city, opposition increased by 2%.
The Vera Institute of Justice’s analysis stated that the polling results send a clear message.
“Voters don’t want the National Guard in their community, and they want to trust their local leadership to handle issues of crime,” the analysis read. “As mayors and governors respond to Trump’s federal intervention, there are ways that resonate with communities and reject ‘tough on crime’ political theater.”
The analysis pointed to Chicago as an example of how local leadership can counter federal “tough on crime” narratives through community-based solutions. It cited that under Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago has focused on addressing the root causes of violence, with the city now reporting historic lows in violent crime.
“Chicagoans trust Mayor Johnson, and that trust has been earned by crime prevention,” the Vera Institute’s analysis read.
The analysis also noted that Mayor Johnson has responded to the president’s deployment by standing his ground, vowing to resist the troops.
Vera Action’s polling revealed that, while voters are skeptical of federal involvement in local safety issues, they still associate Republicans more strongly with crime policy.
However, public sentiment revealed by the polls “gives Democrats space to lead on crime with solutions that are working to prevent crime in cities like Chicago,” the analysis stated.
Overall, the findings suggest that many Americans want leaders who focus on practical safety solutions and local accountability, not political theater.
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