With violent crime on the rise across the United States, it is emerging as the deciding issue in the 2022 midterm elections, with a new poll finding that an overwhelming majority of Americans view crime as a major problem.
A Politico poll released Wednesday found that 77 percent of Americans believe violent crime is a significant problem in the country. The survey also found that 74 percent of Americans believe violent crime is increasing nationally, while 88 percent think it is increasing or staying the same within their community.
Americans also believe increasing police department funding is one of the top ways to combat the crime wave, with 37 percent of respondents thinking that would decrease crime a lot.
The poll numbers come as Republicans pivoted their campaign messaging to the Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies.
The Republican State Leadership Committee released an ad Tuesday that exposes the danger of Democrats’ lax behavior toward criminals.
As Breitbart News reported:
In Colorado, Democrats passed a law in 2020 that made it easier to sue a police officer directly and added more restrictions on officers. The state also has the third highest crime rate in the country while leading the county in car thefts.
In Illinois, Democrats passed the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail even though law enforcement warned that the legislation would lead to a bigger crime surge. The state also leads the country in carjackings.
…
In New York, Democrat lawmakers in 2019 eliminated cash bail. Just in New York City this year, auto theft is up 42 percent, robberies are up 39.8 percent, and rape has also increased by ten percent. Additionally, murders in the last five years are up 48.5 percent.
Interestingly, the Democrats plan on using the poll numbers to “reset” the narrative and present themselves as being tough on crime by advocating for stricter gun laws, Politico reported.
However, a poll released earlier in the year found that Americans do not believe stricter gun laws would adequately address the increase in crime.
As House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) put it, “Democrats want to disarm law-abiding Americans. Republicans want to disarm violent criminals.”
“Why don’t we put these criminals away? Why don’t we stand up to them? You know what, if you enforce the law, you know who would first get in trouble? His son, Hunter Biden, who lied on his form,” McCarthy said in June.
Politico’s poll also found that President Joe Biden’s approval rating sits at 42 percent, with most Americans disapproving of his job.
Politico surveyed more than 2,000 registered voters from September 30 to October 2. The survey’s margin of error is ± two percent.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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