According to a recent Washington Post-Schar School poll, approximately 80% of residents in Washington, DC, are against President Donald Trump’s decision to order the federal government to take control of the city’s police department. The poll also reveals significant opposition to Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and the FBI to patrol the streets of the nation’s capital.
Notably, more than half of the residents have observed an increase in federal presence in their neighborhoods. Among those who have noted this change, a staggering 61% feel less safe due to Trump's actions. These findings starkly contrast the narrative promoted by Trump and other administration officials, who claim that federal intervention has improved safety in the city.
In a statement made at the White House, Trump claimed, “We went from the most unsafe place anywhere to a place that now people, friends are calling me up, Democrats are calling me up, and they’re saying, ‘Sir, I want to thank you. My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years, and Washington, DC, is safe. And you did that in four days.’” However, the poll results indicate that a significant majority of DC residents—79%—oppose his directive, with only 17% expressing support. Among them, 69% reported being strongly opposed.
Furthermore, 65% of DC residents believe that Trump’s actions will not lead to a reduction in violent crime within the city. In contrast, a majority of respondents highlighted alternative solutions that they believe could effectively address the issue of violent crime. Key recommendations from residents include:
77% advocate for increased economic opportunities in impoverished neighborhoods 70% support stricter national gun laws 63% favor a greater presence of Metropolitan Police officers in communities 57% believe in utilizing outreach workers to mediate disputesTrump’s popularity in Washington, DC, remains exceedingly low, with only 6% of DC voters supporting him in the last presidential election. His overall job approval rating is now at a mere 15% among local residents. The poll also highlights a notable shift in public perception regarding crime in the city. Currently, only 31% of residents consider crime an extremely or very serious problem, a decrease from 50% reported in the spring. Additionally, 54% of respondents believe that the crime situation in DC is improving, up from 29% earlier this year.
Among the 35% of residents who report being a victim of crime, or knowing someone who has, 34% support Trump’s federal actions. This contrasts sharply with only 8% support from those who have not experienced recent crime. Furthermore, about half of the residents believe that Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser should be more vocal in opposing Trump’s measures, while 30% think she is handling the situation appropriately and 12% feel she should be more supportive of federal actions.
A significant 71% of residents believe that DC police should not assist the federal government with deporting undocumented immigrants residing in the city. Reports have surfaced indicating local police involvement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) checkpoints in recent weeks. Mayor Bowser’s approval rating remains steady at 53%, with 54% of respondents rating the performance of DC police as good or excellent.
The Washington Post-Schar School poll, conducted from August 14-17, surveyed 604 DC residents through a combination of live phone interviews and online surveys. The margin of error for the full sample is ± 4.1 percentage points.
