Poll: Americans divided over Trump’s National Guard deployment to LA
A new national poll has revealed a stark division among Americans regarding President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, the nation’s second most populous city. The move was made in response to escalating protests sparked by immigration raids carried out by ICE at the direction of the Trump administration.
According to the Washington Post/George Mason University Schar School poll, 41% of adults nationwide support the president’s deployment of troops, while 44% are opposed, with 15% unsure. The survey, which questioned over 1,000 adults nationwide including approximately 200 in California, highlighted a significant partisan divide.
In California, only 32% of respondents supported Trump’s actions, with 58% opposed. The poll also revealed that a staggering 86% of Republicans backed the deployment of troops, while over three-quarters of Democrats disapproved. Independents were more evenly split, with one-third in favor, nearly half opposed, and one in five unsure.
President Trump’s decision to take control of California’s National Guard without the consent of Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, marked the first time in 60 years that a president federalized National Guard troops without a governor’s request. Newsom, leading the resistance to Trump’s moves, took legal action to challenge the order.
A federal district court judge ruled Trump’s actions illegal and ordered the return of control of the National Guard troops to Newsom. However, a federal appeals court quickly blocked the lower court judge’s ruling. The survey also indicated a split among Americans regarding their support for the protests themselves, with 39% in favor, 40% opposed, and 21% unsure.
Democrats overwhelmingly supported the protesters’ aims, with 70% in favor, compared to 39% of independents and only 6% of Republicans. Additionally, Americans were divided on whether the protests have been mostly peaceful (35%) or mostly violent (37%).
The survey’s findings underscore the deep political divisions in the country and the contentious nature of President Trump’s actions in response to the unrest in Los Angeles. The ongoing protests and the president’s deployment of troops have captivated the nation’s attention and reignited debates over immigration, law enforcement, and civil liberties.
