A masked, federal agent in fight uniform leans out the passenger window of a Jeep and factors a navy rifle immediately on the face of a U.S. citizen in Chicago, merely for recording him.
It ought to ship a chill down each American’s backbone. President Trump’s revenge on America’s liberal cities is an authoritarian abuse of energy. Individuals in 2025 shouldn’t must reside in police states or with the Nationwide Guard patrolling their streets or pointing weapons at them.
We aren’t at battle, regardless of what he says about crime and unlawful immigration, and we definitely aren’t at battle with one another. Though which may be precisely what Trump desires.
And it’s taking place. On Tuesday afternoon, the Texas Nationwide Guard arrived in Chicago, the place federal regulation enforcement has already clashed with native authorities officers, native regulation enforcement, U.S. residents, and journalists.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has accused the Trump administration of militarizing Customs and Border Safety (CBP) and ICE brokers “to trigger violence and chaos” and incite metropolis residents.
Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills, in a lawsuit filed by Pritzker, additionally says in sworn testimony that “the way in which by which federal brokers have indiscriminately used chemical brokers…is not like something I’ve seen earlier than.”
Native officers have been arrested for protesting, and a number of other journalists, together with from the Chicago Solar-Occasions and CBS Chicago Information, have been detained, tear-gassed, and pelted with rubber bullets.
Final week, CPB brokers shot an unarmed girl. In September ICE brokers shot and killed an unarmed unlawful immigrant in Franklin Park. Additionally final month, 300 federal brokers raided an residence constructing — some rappelling from Blackhawk helicopters — zip-tying residents and even youngsters and ultimately arresting 37 individuals they are saying are right here illegally or tied to gangs or drug cartels.
That is establishing a doubtlessly explosive scenario, and one which Trump is promising to duplicate in different cities like Portland and Los Angeles, whereby he sends in troops, incites protests and violence, after which invokes the Rebel Act to go to battle with Individuals, spherical up dissenters, and even name off elections.
Along with this being demonstrably unhealthy for America, you’d suppose this is able to even be unhealthy for Trump, politically.
However not so quick.
The politics of Trump’s months-long battle on cities, and whether or not it can harm him or Republicans within the coming midterm elections, is unclear and sophisticated.
The murkiness is evidenced in a story of two polls.
On the one hand, Individuals oppose militarizing regulation enforcement in U.S. cities with out an express exterior menace, by 58%, based on a brand new Reuters/Ipsos ballot.
On the opposite, Trump’s approval, particularly amongst voters in U.S. cities, is above water regardless of his interventions. A model new TIPP Insights ballot of 1,459 adults performed between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2 confirmed his approval at 47%, versus 44% disapproval.
Extra polls flesh out the seeming contradiction.
A majority of Individuals consider crime is up within the final yr and the extent of crime and violence in American cities is unacceptably excessive, based on NPR/Ipsos polling from this month.
However a majority additionally opposes utilizing the federal authorities to take management of native regulation enforcement.
On immigration, 57% disapproves of Trump’s dealing with of deportation, however 56% approves of peaceable arrests of unlawful immigrants.
To sum this up, Individuals appear to agree with Trump on the issues, however not on his options.
So how does that shake out?
The tendency, notably for the left, is to wish to consider opposition to Trump’s ways will translate to opposition to Trump and Republicans. What they typically don’t keep in mind is the truth that loads of voters will nonetheless give him credit score for merely attempting, or appropriately figuring out an issue. That is very true when Democrats insist issues like crime or unlawful immigration aren’t actual, or as unhealthy as voters really feel they’re.
Democratic officers are reacting to Trump’s battle on cities in numerous methods. Some states are suing to dam him. However Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser capitulated and signed an govt order formalizing cooperation between town and federal forces.
New York’s mayoral frontrunner, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is vowing to struggle Trump’s threats to take over NYC if he wins his election.
The query is, will voters in these states see individuals like Pritzker and California Gov. Gavin Newsom as standing as much as Trump? Or standing in Trump’s means of fixing issues?
Either side are taking some fairly massive political dangers right here. Will Trump get the blame if cities like Chicago change into powder kegs? Or will he get the credit score merely for exhibiting up? It’s not that easy.
S.E. Cupp is the host of “S.E. Cupp Unfiltered” on CNN.
