CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, has revealed polling data showing that Americans overwhelmingly trust former President Donald Trump and Republicans far more than Democrats when it comes to handling crime.
The new data exposes a significant vulnerability for the left.
Enten pointed out that public perception has shifted dramatically in Trump’s favor, saying, “Americans view Trump far more favorably now on crime than they did a year ago. And while this polling doesn’t take into account what’s exactly happening in D.C. right now, it does take into account what happened in Los Angeles, what’s happened earlier this year, and Americans, for the most part, actually view Trump favorably.”
“Crime is one of Trump’s best issues,” Enten continued. “It’s one of the reasons why he wants to talk about crime, because it favors him.”
Comparing Trump’s record to Joe Biden’s, Enten used a vivid analogy: “Donald Trump is like Air Jordan towering over Joe Biden when it comes to their handling of crime,” Enten said.
Re: DC… Americans have liked Trump’s approach on crime. He’s Air Jordan (+1 pts net approval) compared to Biden last year (-26 pts net approval).
The GOP leads by 16 pts on crime over Dems. The country is a lot more hawkish on crime than many Dems would like to admit. pic.twitter.com/tGXpKMOrwC
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 14, 2025
Enten warned that Americans are “far more hawkish on crime than a lot of Democrats want to admit,” highlighting how out-of-touch the party’s soft-on-crime policies have become.
“Look, in 2024, look at where Biden’s net approval was on crime: way under water there, at minus 26 points. It was one of Biden’s worst issues — granted, pretty much every issue was one of Biden’s worst issues.”
“And again, look at where Donald Trump is: way, way, way above Joe Biden. What is that? That’s 27 points. So Americans vastly prefer Donald Trump’s approach to crime than they did to Joe Biden’s. And again, I think it gets back to the point that Americans are far more hawkish on crime than a lot of Democrats want to admit.”
Enten concluded, “In 2023, Republicans were favored by 13 points. Look at where they were in may of this year. Republicans were actually favored by 16 points. They actually gained ground on crime. They were maintaining their edge and actually added a little bit to it. So Republicans in the House, Republicans in the Senate, they absolutely want to be talking about crime. The more they feel that we’re talking about crime, the better they feel that the electoral landscape is for them.”
Biden’s net approval on crime plummeted to a dismal minus 26 points in 2024, while Trump’s soared to a commanding plus 27 points, a staggering 53-point gap.
As the 2025 midterm elections approach, these polls highlight why Trump and Republicans are laser-focused on law and order, because the American people are demanding it.
