Democrats are trying to translate visceral outrage into political strategy, even though there’s little consensus on how to press forward on issues where the party has recently struggled to earn voters’ trust. Some Democrats want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a proposal that echoes “defund the police” rhetoric from Trump’s first term, and impeach administration officials like Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Others have taken a different approach, introducing legislation intended to curb alleged abuses by federal agents.
But pushing back on the administration requires Democrats to step onto difficult political terrain. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults trusted Republicans more to handle immigration, according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll from September, higher than about 3 in 10 who said the same about Democrats. On the issue of crime, Republicans also held the advantage. About 44% thought Republicans were better, compared to 22% for the Democrats. Republicans feel confident that their intertwined messages on crime and immigration will resonate with voters in the midterms.
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