In This Story
A new Washington Post-Schar School poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Washington, D.C., residents oppose President Donald Trump’s infusion of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to control a perceived high rate of crime on the streets of the nation’s capital.
The random sample survey of 604 D.C. residents was taken between August 14 and 17 shortly after Trump signed the executive order. It indicates some 65 percent of residents do not believe the presence of FBI agents and uniformed National Guard troops from an increasing number of states makes the city safer.
Eight of 10 residents surveyed oppose Trump’s executive order to federalize law enforcement in the city. Seven in 10 oppose it “strongly.”
In fact, 78 percent of those responding said they feel “very safe” or “somewhat safe” in their neighborhoods.
“Trump’s overheated rhetoric about D.C. crime has evoked strong feelings among many residents offended by such characterizations of their city,” Mark J. Rozell, dean of George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, told the Post.
“A federalized takeover of any aspect of a city’s operations will naturally create a backlash, and that is clearly happening here,” he said. “Residents are saying it is not as bad as the president claims, and they want to reclaim the image of their city against a presidential narrative that is tarnishing D.C.’s reputation.”
The poll also asked residents how they feel about Washington gaining statehood, a long-desired status that has stalled in Congress for decades. The survey shows 72 percent support statehood, with 55 percent saying it’s “extremely important” for the District to govern itself without oversight from the federal government.
You can see the poll at this Washington Post page. You can read the story in the Washington Post at this page.
The Washington Post has partnered with the Schar School since 2016 to conduct a series of public opinion polls to illuminate voter sentiment on a broad range of political and public policy issues. The partnership combines the expertise of Schar School faculty with the Washington Post’s formidable national reach. Read previous polls at this Schar School web page.