Despite being an overwhelmingly Democratic city, nearly 20% of D.C. residents support the federalization ordered by Trump

Despite being a deeply Democratic city, nearly 1 in 5 Washington, D.C., residents (17%) are backing the federalization of the city by order of President Donald Trump to combat crime and violence in the nation's capital. However, the order remains largely unpopular.

According to The Washington Post survey in conjunction with the Schar School, conducted Aug. 14-17 of 604 residents of the capital, 79% of respondents oppose the measure, with 69% doing so strongly. However, there is a surprising minority bloc that, against all odds, favors the Republican president's measure strongly and moderately.

That nearly 20% of D.C. residents favor the measure is significant in a district historically adverse to Republicans, especially Trump, who in the last election only won 6.4% of the vote in the District of Columbia against the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who garnered more than 90% of the vote.

Residents' perception of the measure remains negative

While the White House is trying to defend the federalization of the capital in the face of criticism from the press and Democrats, the WaPo poll, for now, also reflects the contrast between the federal government's narrative and the local majority perception. While President Trump called Washington "the most unsafe place anywhere," 78% of respondents said they feel very or somewhat safe in their neighborhoods. In addition, 31% of respondents considered crime to be a "very" or "extremely" serious problem, a notable drop from the 65% recorded in 2024, an all-time high.

The survey also showed an abrupt change in residents' opinions. As recently as May, 50% of residents considered crime a very serious problem; after federalization, many changed their minds.

What measures residents support

The survey also asked D.C. residents what actions they consider most effective in reducing violence. Seventy-seven percent support expanding economic opportunities in vulnerable communities, 70 percent call for stricter national gun laws, and 63 percent propose increasing local police presence. The views are consistent with a largely Democratic population.

In contrast, one in five believe the federal intervention ordered by Trump will reduce crime, and another 14% believe that permanent federal government control over D.C. police would be an effective solution to combat violence.

Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government, which co-sponsored the poll, said Trump's move has been overwhelmingly rejected by residents, who have now greatly changed their perception of crime from the past few months.

"Trump’s overheated rhetoric about D.C. crime has evoked strong feelings among many residents offended by such characterizations of their city," Rozell said. 

“A federalized takeover of any aspect of a city’s operations will naturally create a backlash, and that is clearly happening here,” he said. “Residents are saying it is not as bad as the president claims, and they want to reclaim the image of their city against a presidential narrative that is tarnishing D.C.’s reputation.”