A new poll suggests that most Americans think President Donald Trump is using the power of federal law enforcement to go after his political opponents. The findings come as the
Justice Department moves forward with high-profile prosecutions of several of Trump’s critics.
The Numbers
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday, a majority of Americans believe Trump’s Justice Department is targeting his political enemies.
85% of Democrats agreed with that statement, compared to just 29% of Republicans.
Among independents and others, 55% said they believe Trump is targeting his opponents, while 27% weren’t sure and 18% disagreed.
Another poll from Quinnipiac University, released Wednesday, found similar results. More than half of respondents (52%) said Trump’s Justice Department has filed “unjustified criminal charges” against his opponents — including 92% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and only 6% of Republicans.
Recent Context
The polling results come right after the indictment of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security advisor, who’s facing charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Bolton, a longtime conservative foreign policy figure and former U.N. ambassador under George W. Bush, became a vocal Trump critic after leaving the White House in 2019.
He’s now the third prominent Trump critic to face federal charges in recent weeks.
James Comey, the former FBI Director, was charged in September with making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice.
Letitia James, New York’s attorney general who led the civil fraud case against Trump last year, was indicted on mortgage fraud charges earlier this month.
Broader Crackdown
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been expanding its use of federal law enforcement in major U.S. cities. ICE raids have drawn protests in Chicago and Los Angeles, and the president has tried to deploy National Guard troops to cities including Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago** to “protect federal property.”
Courts have allowed the deployments to continue in California and Oregon, but have temporarily blocked them in Chicago.
According to the Quinnipiac poll, most Americans—56%—say they oppose the increased federal presence.
92% of Republicans support the actions.
96% of Democrats oppose them.
65% of independents also disapprove, suggesting frustration beyond partisan lines. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.