President Donald J. Trump reportedly now holds a commanding advantage over former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on the issue of crime, according to data revealed Thursday by CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten.
The numbers underscore what Republicans have long argued: that Americans are increasingly turning toward tougher, law-and-order leadership amid concerns about public safety.
Speaking on CNN, Enten noted that nationwide polling shows Trump’s net approval on crime has climbed sharply since his first term.
During that period, Trump’s net favorability on crime registered at minus-13. Now, in his second term, that figure has risen to plus-1 — a significant turnaround that positions crime as one of the president’s strongest political assets.
“Americans view Trump far more favorably now on crime than they did a year ago,” Enten said, pointing to a combination of events across major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, earlier this year. “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.”
The data comes just days after Enten discussed a separate survey showing that most Washington, D.C., residents believed Trump was too involved in local matters.
That poll, taken months before the president’s recent intervention, nonetheless hinted at local unease. Trump this week announced the federalization of D.C.’s police force and the deployment of the National Guard, framing the moves as a necessary step to bring order to the nation’s capital.
The president’s actions in Washington mark one of the most aggressive federal responses to city-level crime in recent decades, reflecting a belief among his supporters that Democratic leadership has failed to curb lawlessness in urban centers.
While the D.C. poll suggested skepticism toward his presence among local residents, Enten stressed that the broader national picture tells a different story.
At the close of Biden’s presidency, the gap between the two men on crime was stark. Biden’s net approval stood at minus-26 on the issue, which Enten described as “way underwater” and among his worst performances on any policy area. Trump, by contrast, was “way, way, way above Joe Biden” — a difference of 27 points.
Enten likened the contrast to a basketball legend towering over his peers: “Donald Trump is like Air Jordan towering over Joe Biden when it comes to their handling of crime.”
For Republicans, the numbers validate a central campaign message heading into the 2026 political landscape: that voters are more “hawkish on crime” than Democratic strategists often acknowledge.
With public concern over safety persisting — and with urban crime a recurring national headline — Trump’s readiness to confront the problem appears to be resonating far beyond the Beltway.
By seizing the initiative on an issue where Biden struggled, the president may be reinforcing one of the clearest distinctions between the two men: a willingness to use federal power to restore order and a belief that law enforcement, not leniency, is the path toward safer communities.
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