A recent survey has highlighted American opinions on Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to various cities across the nation.
The deployment of troops to cities like Los Angeles, Washington, and more recently, Chicago has been a response from the Trump administration to address what they describe as ‘ongoing violent riots and lawlessness.’
This past weekend, Trump confirmed the deployment of 300 National Guard members to Chicago. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that the action was taken due to the unrest in Chicago.
“President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities,” she emphasized.
In a speech focused on military involvement, Trump announced a shift in military operations to provide domestic support to law enforcement and commended the National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this year, 1,700 National Guard soldiers were dispatched nationwide with the primary mission of aiding ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
While Trump posits that deploying the National Guard is beneficial, a recent poll indicates that a significant majority of Americans oppose the decision.
Data from a CBS News poll reveals that 58 percent of Americans surveyed disapprove of the National Guard’s deployment to numerous cities, whereas 42 percent support the move.
Additionally, when it comes to deploying active-duty soldiers to U.S. cities, 61 percent are against it, with 39 percent in favor.
Among Republican voters surveyed, 79 percent are in favor of using active duty military troops in cities, while 21 percent oppose it.
Conversely, 92 percent of Democrat voters in the poll oppose military deployment in cities, with only eight percent in support.
For those who supported Independent candidates in the last election, 70 percent oppose the Trump administration’s actions, compared to 30 percent who support it.
Trump has previously criticized cities led by Democrats, hinting at future interventions.
During a speech to the military, Trump remarked, “They’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one.”
He further stated, “And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within. Controlling the physical territory of our border is essential to national security. We can’t let these people in.”
Trump continued, “After spending trillions of dollars defending the borders of foreign countries, with your help, we’re defending the borders of our country from now on.”
He reportedly told Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, “We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military — National Guard, but our military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon.”
“That’s a big city with an incompetent governor,” he added.
These statements have faced significant backlash from political opponents and numerous individuals on social media.