Trump’s Federal Takeover of D.C. Police Sparks National Divide, Poll Shows
Trump’s Federal Takeover of D.C. Police Divides Americans, Poll Finds
A new nationwide poll finds that Americans are deeply divided by former President Donald Trump’s decision to take direct federal control of Washington, D.C.’s police force and deploy the nationwide Guard.
After Trump’s declaration on Monday, YouGov found that while some Americans strongly supported him, a majority strongly opposed him.
The poll found that 38% of U.S. respondents “strongly disapprove” of Trump’s decision. However, 21% strongly approved and 20% were undecided. The rest were more modest: 13% “somewhat approve” and 9% “somewhat disapprove” of the extraordinary step.
Public Opinion Centers on Crime
The survey indicated more agreement on crime in America’s largest cities than on Trump’s takeover. Some 67% of respondents called crime a “major problem,” while 23% called it a “minor problem.” Only 3% think crime isn’t a concern, and 6% are undecided.
The poll also found that 37% of Americans think major city crime rates have increased greatly since 2020, while 18% think they have increased little. Meanwhile, 15% think rates have stayed the same and 13% think they’ve declined.
President Trump Declares “Liberation Day” in D.C.
Trump declared “Liberation Day” for the capital while accompanied by key administration officials. He put the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to restore “law, order, and public safety.”
He also asked other towns to do the same and told the National Guard to watch over the city. New York City, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Oakland, and Chicago are some of these places.
That Democrats don’t do enough to keep crime under control is something Trump has said a lot. This is one of the most direct ways he has gotten involved in local government.
D.C. Leaders Disagree, Saying Crime is Going Down
District and local leaders have denied Trump’s claims, pointing to statistics that show a drop in major crimes. As of earlier this year, FBI statistics showed that violent crime in D.C. hit a 30-year low in 2024. More data from the Metropolitan Police Department shows that crime has gone down by 26%.
Some people are upset about the federal takeover because they think it risks the city’s power and doesn’t care about the public safety efforts made by local police.
Public Opinion Points to a Political Conflict
The poll of 3,180 people in the U.S. says that Trump’s takeover of D.C. could make politics more divided in 2024. If you want to crack down on crime, you might like the plan. But if you think the federal government has too much power over local problems, you might not.
People across the country have different ideas about how to fight crime in towns and who should be in charge of keeping the peace.
Sources:
YouGov Poll Data (August 2025)
FBI Crime Statistics – Washington, D.C. (2024)
Metropolitan Police Department Crime Reports (2024–2025)
