BySara Dorn,
Forbes Staff.
Americans view crime as a persistent problem in major U.S. cities, but are largely split on President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., and threats to replicate the efforts elsewhere, polls show—even as crime has decreased nationally this year—forcing Democrats to walk a fine line in criticizing Trump’s efforts without dismissing voters’ concerns.
An Associated Press-NORC poll of U.S. adults released Wednesday found 81% of Americans view crime as a “major problem” in large cities, while more than half of respondents said they approve of Trump’s handling of crime—higher than his approval rating on immigration and the economy.
Six of the seven major violent crimes—homicide, aggravated assault, gun assault, sexual assault, robbery and carjacking—were down in the first half of 2025, compared to the first half of 2024, according to the Council on Criminal Justice’s survey of crime data from 42 American cities (domestic violence was the only major violent crime up this year).
