Harry Enten: Americans Prefer Trump’s Crime Policies Over Biden’s
CNN’s own senior data reporter Harry Enten has confirmed what many Americans already know: President Donald Trump’s tough-on-crime agenda resonates far more strongly with voters than Joe Biden’s failed approach.
Enten told The Charlotte Observer that Trump’s numbers on crime have flipped dramatically since his first term. While his crime rating once stood at -13, his approval on the issue now sits at +1 — a 27-point advantage over Biden, whose net approval was an abysmal -26 in 2024.
“Look in 2024, look at where Biden’s net approval was on crime. Way underwater there at -26 points. It was one of Biden’s worst issues, granted, pretty much every issue was one of Biden’s worst issues,” Enten said.
“And again, look at where Donald Trump is. Way, way, way above Joe Biden. 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 Democrats want to admit.”
Enten emphasized that crime is now one of Trump’s strongest issues: “Americans view Trump far more favorably now on crime than they did a year ago … Crime is one of Trump’s best issues, it’s one of the reasons why he wants to talk about crime, because it favors him.”
Even left-leaning commentators have warned Democrats that dismissing rising violence is political suicide. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews cautioned: “You can’t keep saying violent crime is down but the murder rate’s up — to the average person the murder rate is about life and death. You don’t brag about a rising murder rate. … The Democrats are falling in the trap of defending what’s indefensible.”
The Atlantic also conceded, “The nation’s capital really does have a long-standing and profound violence problem that will not improve without deliberate intervention.”
President Trump has made that “deliberate intervention” a reality. Expanding a federal anti-crime initiative in Washington, D.C., his administration has deployed law enforcement, federal agents, and National Guard troops to restore order in a city plagued by chaos.
Since the operation began in early August, more than 300 arrests have been made, including homicide suspects and drug traffickers. Authorities have also seized 15 illegal firearms and cleared three homeless encampments without incident.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers praised the results: “In less than ten days, over 300 dangerous criminals have already been arrested and taken off the streets of Washington, D.C. President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi added: “Over 300 arrests in D.C. — and counting: Just last night, our federal and DC law enforcement partners made 68 arrests and seized 15 illegal firearms. Homicide suspects, drug traffickers, and more are being charged. I’ll continue to stand with you as we make DC safe again!”
The numbers speak for themselves. In the first full week after the White House assumed control of the D.C. police force, property crimes fell 19 percent and violent crime dropped 17 percent. Robberies and car break-ins fell by more than 40 percent.
Although certain categories, such as burglary (+6 percent) and assaults with a dangerous weapon (+14 percent), rose slightly, the overall picture shows meaningful progress. Two homicides occurred during the week — consistent with recent trends — but none have been reported since August 13.
The message is clear: President Trump’s leadership on crime is delivering results that Joe Biden never could. While Democrats argue over statistics, Trump is cleaning up America’s cities and restoring safety for ordinary citizens.