[[link removed]]
TRUMP DOES NOT HAVE MANDATE
[[link removed]]
Peter Dreier
December 11, 2024
Talking Points Memo
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]
_ Newspaper headlines have called Donald Trump’s victory
“decisive,” “massive,” “resounding,” “historic,” and
“sweeping.” None of those things are true. Recent public opinion
polls reveal that Trump’s professed policy agenda is very unpopular.
_
TPM Illustration,
Newspaper headlines have called Donald Trump’s victory
“decisive,” “massive,” “resounding,” “historic,” and
“sweeping.” Trump himself has described his win as a
“landslide.” On election night, he claimed that “America has
given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate.”
None of those things are true.
Moreover, recent public opinion polls reveal that Trump’s professed
policy agenda is very unpopular.
Trump’s electoral triumph, and the Republicans’ control of both
houses of Congress and the Supreme Court, certainly puts them in a
position to make significant changes. But in terms of the overall
vote, as well as public sentiment, Trump and the GOP have no mandate.
If they try to overhaul the government and the economy based on
Trump’s campaign pledges, it will cause enormous hardship and
suffering, and it may well lead to a major backlash in the 2026 and
2028 elections — provided, of course, that Democrats are able to
highlight the ways in which Republicans are hostile to policy ideas
most Americans support.
That is the paradox of the 2024 election: that Trump won despite the
unpopularity of his and his allies’ agenda. It is a puzzle Democrats
will need to solve. But they cannot solve it by understanding
Trump’s win to be an embrace of his ideas and a resounding rejection
of Democrats’. It is not.
Americans still do not support Trump’s ideas, nor was Republicans’
victory resounding.
Let’s start with Trump’s electoral victory. His popular vote
margin was one of the tiniest in American history. He won 49.9 percent
of the vote compared with Kamala Harris’ 48.3 percent. Trump’s 1.6
percent edge is the third smallest
[[link removed]] since
1900, not counting 2016, when he lost the popular vote to Hillary
Clinton by a 2.1 percent margin.
Trump didn’t come close to a “landslide” victory. The most
lopsided presidential contests have been Lyndon Johnson’s in 1964
(which he won with 61.1 percent of the vote), Franklin Roosevelt’s
in 1936 (60.8 percent), Richard Nixon’s in 1972 (60.7 percent),
Calvin Coolidge’s in 1920 (60.3 percent), and Ronald Reagan’s in
1984 (58.8 percent).
Trump won the six battleground states by slim margins. He received
49.7 percent of the vote in both Wisconsin and Michigan, 50.4 percent
in Pennsylvania, 50.6 percent in Nevada, 50.7 percent in Georgia, and
52.2 percent in Arizona.
The partisan shift in Congress is also infinitesimal in historical
perspective.
The Republicans increased the number of Senate seats they hold from 50
to 53, which will give that chamber significant power to act on
Trump’s agenda. But in the 33 Senate races in November, the number
of Americans who voted for Democrats exceeded
[[link removed]] the
number who voted for Republicans, 55.6 million to 54.2 million.
The Republicans also made _no_ gains in the House. In the next
Congress, the Republicans’ margin in the House will be 220 to 215.
In other words, exactly the same as it was before the election. (This
includes the two empty seats vacated by Democrats and the one empty
seat vacated by a Republican that were just filled by candidates from
the same party. It assumes that the three House Republicans who Trump
has appointed to positions in his administration will be replaced by
other Republicans). So much for Republican claims of a significant
shift!
This is not to downplay the reality: that the Democrats’ small
margins of defeat in a handful of congressional districts will have
huge consequences, including a lot of suffering and hardship. But it
is to emphasize that, in partisan terms, the United States basically
remains a 50-50 country in terms of the popular vote between
Republican and Democratic candidates.
Yes, there is a lot to contemplate in the big-picture analyses about
the mood of the country, the shifting media environment, some
demographic groups’ drift toward Trump, and the debate over whether
Harris was too left or too centrist. All that and more will figure in
the various diagnoses that will happen in anticipation of the 2026 and
2028 elections.
But one simple takeaway from these basic facts is that if the
Democrats had won three more seats this year, they’d have a 218-217
majority in the House and the ability to neutralize most of Trump’s
legislative initiatives. The three Democrats who lost by the narrowest
margins (Christina Bohannan in Iowa, Yadira Caraveo in Colorado, and
Susan Wild in Pennsylvania), lost by some 7,000 votes, combined. The
other four Democrats in very close races — Janelle Stelson and Matt
Cartwright in Pennsylvania, Tony Vargas in Nebraska, and Mary Petola
in Alaska — lost by a total of 22,180 votes. Yes, a Republican could
say the same thing about the slim margins won by a few Democrats, but
it was the Democrats who lost 7 of the 11 closest races. A slightly
better Democratic GOTV operation in three of those districts would
have given the Democrats a majority in the House.
This is not to downplay the reality: that the Democrats’ small
margins of defeat in a handful of congressional districts will have
huge consequences, including a lot of suffering and hardship.
But it is to emphasize that, in partisan terms, the United States
basically remains a 50-50 country in terms of the popular vote between
Republican and Democratic candidates.
When it comes to key policy areas, however, America is not evenly
divided. Polls show that a vast majority of Americans depart
significantly from Trump’s ideas about where to take the country.
Polls have for years shown — and continue to show — that voters
are more likely to agree with progressive positions than conservative
ones on many key issues.
The focus by almost all Republicans on divisive social issues and
bigotry can obscure views that most Americans share, especially when
it comes to such matters as economic fairness, protecting the
environment, health care, gun safety, abortion, and the drift toward
plutocracy. The vast majority of Americans are liberal or progressive
on these and other matters. Even some Trump supporters, Republicans,
and people who call themselves “conservatives” have liberal or
moderate views on many topics.
Americans are generally upset with widening inequality, the political
influence of big business, and declining living standards. Public
opinion is generally favorable toward greater government activism to
address these and other problems, like climate change and health care.
Most Americans worry that government has been captured by the powerful
and wealthy. They want a government that serves the common good. They
also want to reform government to make it more responsive and
accountable.
The overwhelming majority of Americans reject cutting Social Security
and Medicare, though doing so is periodically floated by Republican
members of Congress and incoming Trump administration officials, and
majorities support raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. (See the
end of this article for a detailed statistical breakdown of
Americans’ support for progressive policy ideas.)
All this should be good news for Democrats and liberals. They can take
comfort that their ideas are more popular than Trump’s and the
GOP’s.
But public opinion on its own doesn’t translate into public policy.
It has to be mobilized during legislative battles, media wars, and
election campaigns. For example, even though a vast majority of
Americans — and even a majority of gun owners — support background
checks for gun purchasers, for decades the National Rifle Association
[[link removed]],
of which only five percent of all gun owners are members, has been
better organized, more passionate and vocal, and has provided more
campaign contributions to policymakers than the advocacy groups that
support background checks and bans on assault rifles.
That brings us back to the confounding paradox of this election: why a
significant number of Americans voted for Trump despite their
disagreements with his views. Trump could not have won the election if
the only people who voted for him were those who agreed with his
stances on most issues.
For example, according to CNN exit polls, 29% of voters who believe
that abortion should be legal voted for Trump anyway. Twelve percent
of Americans who think that Trump’s views are too extreme voted for
him anyway.
Trump got 58.5% of the vote in Missouri on the same day that 58% of
voters in that state supported a ballot referendum to raise the
minimum wage to $13.75 an hour and to require employers to provide
paid sick leave — both policies that Trump opposes. In Alaska, where
Trump won 54.5% of the vote, 58% of voters got behind a ballot measure
to raise the state minimum wage from the current $11.73 an hour to $13
in 2025, $14 in 2026 and $15 in 2027, with annual inflationary
adjustments in following years. It, too, will require employers to
provide paid sick leave.
In the recent election
[[link removed]], 10
states had abortion-related measures on the ballot. Voters favored
protecting abortion access in seven of them, including several states
that voted for Trump.
Missourians passed, with 51.6% of the vote, the Right to Reproductive
Freedom Initiative, which establishes a right to reproductive freedom
in the state constitution, including the right to make without
government interference decisions about abortion, contraception,
miscarriage management, prenatal and postpartum care, and respectful
birthing conditions. It also protects a right to assist someone
exercising their reproductive freedom. The initiative was, of course,
only necessary because a majority of the Supreme Court, including
three justices picked by Trump, voted to overturn _Roe v. Wade_. (And
lest any voters had the illusion Republicans truly embraced their
“leave it to the states” mantra, Missouri state
Republicans immediately got to work
[[link removed]] trying
to impose restrictions on abortion that circumvent the newly passed
amendment.)
In Nevada, a whopping 64.4% of voters supported an amendment to the
state constitution to create a right to abortion until fetal viability
or when needed to protect the life or health of a pregnant woman. But
Trump, who proudly took credit for appointing those three Supreme
Court justices who were crucial to overturning _Roe_, defeated Harris
in Nevada by a slim majority of 50.6%.
In Arizona, where Trump prevailed with 52.2% of the vote, 61.6% of
voters supported Proposition 139, a similar measure that establishes a
fundamental right to abortion and prevents the state from restricting
abortion prior to viability in most instances (generally 24–26 weeks
of pregnancy). It protects access to care after that point if
necessary to protect the pregnant person’s life or health (physical
or mental). The measure also prohibits any law penalizing a person or
entity that assists someone in getting an abortion. Fifty-seven
percent of voters in Montana passed the Right to Abortion Initiative
that ensures a right to make and carry out pregnancy decisions,
including abortion. It prevents the state from hindering the right to
abortion before viability (generally 24–26 weeks of pregnancy) and
when necessary after that point to protect the pregnant person’s
life or physical health. It also protects patients, health care
providers or anyone who assists someone in exercising their right to
make decisions about their pregnancy. This happened in a state that
Trump won with 58.4% of the vote.
There is a lot here for Democrats to sift through about these apparent
policy disconnects, and voters making reactionary choices that cut
against their own professed policy preferences is far from a new
phenomenon in democratic politics
[[link removed]].
What’s clear, though, is that — like the exceptional con man he is
— Trump persuaded enough voters who don’t agree with him on most
issues to vote for him anyway by playing to Americans’ fears and
vulnerabilities. He was more effective than Harris in tapping into
Americans’ angers and frustrations, while Biden, and then Harris,
failed to win credit for their accomplishments on expanding health
insurance coverage, creating jobs, and reversing the fiasco of
Trump’s mismanagement of the COVID pandemic. Trump was adept at
distorting the truth to persuade a sufficient number of voters that
the U.S. had the “greatest” economy ever when he was in the White
House and that Biden (and then Harris) was responsible for wrecking
the economy and for the increasing price of gas, eggs, and rent. He
managed to convince enough voters that illegal immigrants were
“poisoning” America, stealing Americans’ jobs, and creating a
crime wave. Among voters who prioritized those issues, Trump won
decisively
[[link removed]].
These survey findings should compel Democrats running for governor and
Congress in the next two years and for president in 2028, to promote a
bolder progressive policy agenda. To have credibility with voters,
Democratic candidates must be able to explain how these policy ideas
translate into improving voters’ lives.
Few Americans call themselves “progressive.” Few think they share
similar views with citizens of social democracies like Canada,
Denmark, Norway, and Germany. But on most major issues, Americans lean
left. Although Trump, the corporate plutocracy, and MAGA movement may
think otherwise, the United States is a more decent and democratic
society than we give it credit for.
AN OVERVIEW OF AMERICANS’ PROGRESSIVE POSITIONS
The figures cited below come from surveys conducted by Gallup, Pew,
and other reputable polling organizations on the key issues facing the
nation.
These are national polls on each topic from the past two years. Each
poll is hyperlinked so readers can look at the original sources.
THE ECONOMY
* 74%
[[link removed]] of
Americans think that corporations have too much power in society. (Pew
2024)
* 65%
[[link removed]] think
corporations make too much profit. (Pew 2024)
* 73%
[[link removed]] of
Americans think our economic system “unfairly favors powerful
interests.” (Pew 2024)
* 67% of Americans favor a “billionaire tax” that would increase
the tax rate to 23.8% for those with a net wealth either over $1
billion or whose income exceeds $100 million for three consecutive
years (about 700 of the wealthiest Americans). This proposal, when
polled, garnered the support of 84% of Democrats, 63% of Independents,
and 51% of Republicans.
MONEY IN POLITICS
* 82%
[[link removed]] say
that the influence of money in politics is a threat to our democracy.
(American Promise 2024)
* 80%
[[link removed]] say
the people who donate money to political campaigns have too much
influence
[[link removed]] on
the decisions members of Congress make. (Pew 2023)
* 73%
[[link removed]] say
lobbyists and special interest groups have too much influence. Large
majorities of Republicans and Democrats alike say campaign donors,
lobbyists and special interest groups have too much influence. (Pew
2023)
* 72%
[[link removed]] say
that there should be limits on the amount of money
[[link removed]] individuals
and organizations can spend on political campaigns. (Pew 2023)
TAXES
* 61%
[[link removed]] of
Americans think some corporations don’t pay their fair share of
taxes. (Pew 2023)
* 60%
[[link removed]] think
some wealthy people don’t pay their fair share of taxes. (Pew 2023)
* 61%
[[link removed]] support
raising taxes for households with incomes over $400,000. (Pew 2023)
* 65% support
[[link removed]] raising
taxes for large corporations. (Pew 2023)
* 77%
[[link removed]] of
registered voters in the seven battleground states in this year’s
presidential election like the idea of a billionaires tax to bolster
Social Security shortfalls. More than half say they approve of
trimming benefits for high-earners, and for taxing wages for Social
Security beyond the first $168,600 in earnings, as is done under
current policy. (Bloomberg News/Morning Consult 2024)
* 92% of voters
[[link removed]],
including 94% of Republicans, reject cutting Social Security to reduce
the national debt.
* 71%
[[link removed]] of
voters want Congress to protect Social Security by increasing taxes on
wealthy Americans.
MINIMUM WAGE
* 83%
[[link removed]] of
Americans — including 76% of Republicans — favor raising the
federal minimum wage to $12 an hour. (Data for Progress 2024)
* 66%
[[link removed]] support
increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, from $7.25 per
hour. (YouGov 2024)
* 64%
[[link removed]] of
Americans — including 45% of Republicans — favor raising the
federal minimum wage to $17 an hour. (Data for Progress 2024)
* 63%
[[link removed]]of
registered voters think the minimum wage should be adjusted each year
by the rate of inflation, including majorities of Democrats (80%) and
independents (65%), and just under half of Republicans (45%).
(University of Maryland 2023)
* The federal minimum wage was last raised
[[link removed]] in 2009
to $7.25 per hour. Since then, consumer prices have increased by 45%
[[link removed]] — including a 49%
increase in medical care prices
[[link removed]], a 51% increase in food
prices [[link removed]], and a 67%
increase in rental housing prices
[[link removed]]. Nonetheless, the
federal minimum wage hasn’t budged in those 15 years.
WORKERS’ RIGHTS
* 70% [[link removed]]of
Americans — including 42% of Republicans — approve of labor
unions. This is just one point below the highest level recorded since
1965. (Gallup 2024)
* 61% [[link removed]] of
Americans say that unions mostly help the U.S. economy (Gallup 2023)
* 65%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support establishing a law that strengthens workers’
ability to bargain collectively. (YouGov 2024)
* 85%
[[link removed]] of
voters from nine battleground states — including 76% of Republicans
— say they support paid parental, family, and medical leave.
* 79%
[[link removed]] of
voters support a federal paid leave program, including 92 percent of
Democrats, 74 percent of Independents, and 72 percent of Republicans.
(Data for Progress 2023)
HEALTH CARE
* 83%
[[link removed]] say
drug company profits are a major contributing factor to prescription
drug costs. (KFF, 2023)
* 73%
[[link removed]] say
there is not enough government regulation when it comes to limiting
the price of prescription drugs. (KFF 2023)
* 85%
[[link removed]] support
having the federal government negotiate the price of prescription
medication. (KFF 2023)
* 65%
[[link removed]] of
voters want to increase Medicare funding while just 2% want to cut it.
(Data for Progress 2023)
* 92%
[[link removed]] of
voters — including overwhelming margins of Democrats, Independents,
and Republicans — support expanding Medicare to provide dental,
vision, and hearing benefits. (Data for Progress 2024)
* 57%
[[link removed]] of
Americans believe “it is the federal government’s responsibility
to make sure all Americans have health care coverage.” (Gallup
2024)
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
* 80%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support imposing tougher penalties on companies causing
environmental damage. (YouGov 2024).
* 74%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support U.S. participation in international efforts to
reduce the effects of climate change (Pew 2023), while only 33% think
the U.S. should withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords. (YouGov 2024)
* 67%
[[link removed]] of
Americans say that large businesses and corporations are doing too
little to reduce the effects of climate change. (Pew 2023)
* 67%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support prioritizing the development of renewable energy
sources, such as wind and solar, over expanding the production of oil,
coal and natural gas. (Pew 2023)
* 66%
[[link removed]] of
Americans want the federal government to incentivize wind and solar
energy production. Only 21% feel that way about coal mining and only
34% feel that way about gas and oil drilling. (Pew 2023)
* 63%
[[link removed]] think
the government should require automobiles to meet higher energy
efficiency standards. (YouGov 2024)
* 61% [[link removed]] of
Americans think that increases in the Earth’s temperature over the
last century are due more to human activities than natural changes in
the environment. (Gallup 2024)
* 58% [[link removed]] of
Americans favor dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels such as
gas, oil and coal in the U.S. within the next 10 or 20 years, in order
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Gallup 2023)
GUN SAFETY
* 72%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support requiring a person to obtain a license from a local
law enforcement agency before buying a gun.
* 61%
[[link removed]] of
Americans say it is too easy to legally obtain a gun in this
country, according to the June 2023 survey. Far fewer (9%) say it is
too hard, while another 30% say it’s about right.
* 66%
[[link removed]] of
Americans favor banning high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold
more than 10 rounds.
* 86%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support Congress mandating background checks for all firearm
sales and transfers. (McCourtney Institute for Democracy, 2023)
* 73%
[[link removed]] support
Congress requiring gun owners to take a test, obtain a license and
register their firearms, similar to the process of owning an
automobile.
* 63%
[[link removed]] want
to ban the sale and private ownership of semi-automatic firearms
referred to as assault weapons.
ABORTION AND WOMEN’S HEALTH
* 64%
[[link removed]] of
Americans — including 86% of Democrats, 67% of independents, and 36%
of Republicans — say abortion should be legal in most or all cases;
by contrast, 35% of Americans say abortion should be illegal in most
or all cases. Just 9% of Americans believe that abortion should be
illegal in all cases. (PRRI 2023)
* 66% of women and 62% of men say abortion should be legal in all or
most cases. (PRRI 2023)
* 62% of white Catholics, 73% of Catholics of color, and 57% of
Hispanic Catholics say that abortion should be legal in all or most
cases. Majorities of other religious groups share that view, including
93% of Unitarian Universalists, 68% of white non-evangelical
Protestants, 81% of Jews, 79% of Buddhists, 71% of Black Protestants,
and 60% of Muslims. In contrast, only 27% of white evangelical
Protestants, 30% of Latter-day Saints, and 25% of Jehovah’s
Witnesses share that view. (PRRI 2023)
* 68% of Americans — including 79% of Democrats, 71% of
independents, and 54% of Republicans — oppose laws that make it
illegal to use or receive through the mail FDA-approved drugs for
medical abortion, often called abortion pills. (PRRI 2023)
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND LGBTQ RIGHTS
* 76%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support policies that protect LGBTQ Americans from
discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation. (PRRI
2023)
* 69%
[[link removed]] of
Americans support legal same-sex marriage, up from 27% in 1996, 42% in
2004, and 50% in 2011. (Gallup 2024)
* 78% of those 18-34, 69% of those 35-54, and 63% of those 55 and
over support same-sex marriage. (Gallup 2024)
* 80%
[[link removed]] of
Americans thought that “both Democrats and Republicans should spend
less time talking about transgender issues and more time talking about
voters’ priority issues like the economy and inflation.” (Data for
Progress 2024)
* Only 38%
[[link removed]] of
voters viewed transgender issues as “extremely” or “very”
important to their presidential vote choice. It ranked last among 22
issues, such as the economy, democracy, terrorism, Supreme Court
appointments, immigration, education, health care, climate change and
other topics. (Gallup 2024)
* 58%
[[link removed]] of
voters want the government to be less involved in the lives of
transgender people. (Data for Progress 2024)
* 52%
[[link removed]] of
voters said they would vote for a candidate who supports transgender
rights over one who doesn’t, while only 31% of voters would favor a
candidate who opposes transgender rights. (Data for Progress 2024)
EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE
* 77% [[link removed]] of Americans favor
the federal government providing free tuition at public universities
or colleges for anyone who is academically qualified. (2023)
* 78% [[link removed]] of
Americans — including 73% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats —
support increasing the federal tax credit to help working parents
offset the cost of child care (also known as the Child and Dependent
Care Tax Credit). (Public Opinion Strategies 2023)
* 74% [[link removed]] of
Americans — including 66% of Republicans and 81% of Democrats —
support increasing the Child Tax Credit, a tax benefit for families
with children. (Public Opinion Strategies 2023)
OTHER ISSUES
* 64%
[[link removed]] oppose
and only 30%
[[link removed]] support
pardoning January 6th protestors. (Scripps Howard/Ipsos 2024)
* 72%
[[link removed]] support,
and only 23%
[[link removed]] oppose,
permitting women to participate in military combat. (Scripps
Howard/Ipsos 2024)
* 69%
[[link removed]] of
Americans — including 79% of Democrats, 68% of independents, and 59%
of Republicans — believe that Trump’s tariff plans will increase
prices. Few Americans — including just 20% of Democrats, 27% of
independents, and 51% of Republicans — think that tariffs will have
a positive impact on the economy. (Harris 2024)
AREAS OF DIVISION
The two most divisive issues are crime and immigration. The majority
of Americans are concerned that the police and the criminal justice
system doesn’t treat all Americans equally, based on race. And while
they are concerned about protecting the border from undocumented
immigrants, they oppose a major deportation effort because they
recognize that it would separate families and hurt the economy.
IMMIGRATION
* 88%
[[link removed]] of
Americans want to improve security along the country’s borders. (Pew
2024)
* Only 34% of Americans, but 59% of Trump supporters, think that
illegal immigrants make life in the U.S. worse. (Pew 2024)
* 56%
[[link removed]] of
Americans — including 88% of Trump supporters and 27% of Harris
supporters — think the country should deport immigrants who are
living in the U.S. illegally. (Pew 2024)
_BUT…_
* 57%
[[link removed]] oppose
mass deportation of undocumented immigrants if it results in families
being separated. (Scripps Howard/Ipsos)
* 52%
[[link removed]] oppose
mass deportation of undocumented immigrants if it results in higher
prices on goods. (Scripps Howard/Ipsos)
* 70%
[[link removed]] support
admitting immigrants who can fill labor shortages. (Pew)
* 69%
[[link removed]] support
a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers — undocumented immigrants
brought to the country as children. (Scripps News/Ipsos)
* 64% of Americans, but 92% of Trump supporters, think illegal
immigrants make the crime problem worse. (Pew 2024)
* 56% of Americans, but 85% of Trump supporters, think illegal
immigrants make the economy worse. (Pew 2024)
* Only 19% of Americans think legal immigrants worsen the economy
and 24% think they make the crime problem worse. (Pew 2024)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
* Just 39 percent
[[link removed]] of
Americans are confident that the police in this country are adequately
trained to avoid the use of excessive force. And just 41 percent are
confident the police treat Black and white people equally. Forty-six
percent of white people think the police are adequately trained on
excessive force, compared with 34 percent of Hispanic people and only
20 percent of Black people. On equal treatment, the gap in perceptions
between Black and white people is wider: While 48 percent of white
people think the police treat Black and white people equally, just 12
percent of Black people say so. It’s 33 percent among Hispanic
people. (Washington Post/ABC News 2023)
* Americans are divided
[[link removed]] over
whether the recent killings of Black Americans by police are isolated
incidents (48%) or part of a broader pattern of how police treat Black
Americans (48%). White Americans (57%) are much more likely than AAPI
(48%) and Hispanic Americans (41%) to say that killings of Black
Americans by police are isolated incidents rather than part of a
pattern of how police treat Black Americans. Just 14% of Black
Americans say that the killings are isolated incidents. (PRRI 2023)
* 69%
[[link removed]] of
Americans report that they are confident in their local police,
although there is a significant gap between Black Americans (56%),
Hispanic Americans (64%), and white Americans (74%). (Gallup, 2023)
* At least half
[[link removed]] of
adults say racism is a major problem in the criminal justice system
(54%), and policing (51%). (KFF 2024)
* 67%
[[link removed]] say
they trust the police all or most of the time to do what is right for
their community with substantially lower shares among Blacks (45%) and
Hispanics (63%) than Asians (62%) and whites (74%). (KFF 2024)
_[PETER DREIER is the E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics
at Occidental College.]_
_This article is part of TPM Cafe
[[link removed]], TPM’s home for opinion and
news analysis. _
_Start your day with TPM. Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter
[[link removed]]_
* 2024 Elections
[[link removed]]
* Donald Trump
[[link removed]]
* Kamala Harris
[[link removed]]
* Democratic Party
[[link removed]]
* GOP
[[link removed]]
* Republican Party
[[link removed]]
* MAGA
[[link removed]]
* TAGA
[[link removed]]
* Trump transition
[[link removed]]
* Congress
[[link removed]]
* Trump 2.0
[[link removed]]
* Resistance 2.0
[[link removed]]
* Elections 2026
[[link removed]]
* 2026 Midterms
[[link removed]]
* 2028 Elections
[[link removed]]
* Economy
[[link removed]]
* Money in Politics
[[link removed]]
* taxes
[[link removed]]
* Minimum Wage
[[link removed]]
* workers rights
[[link removed]]
* Health Care
[[link removed]]
* Climate Change
[[link removed]]
* Climate Crisis
[[link removed]]
* environment
[[link removed]]
* gun safety
[[link removed]]
* abortion
[[link removed]]
* abortion rights
[[link removed]]
* women's health
[[link removed]]
* same-sex marriage
[[link removed]]
* LGBTQ rights
[[link removed]]
* Education
[[link removed]]
* Child Care
[[link removed]]
* Tariffs
[[link removed]]
* Immigration
[[link removed]]
* Immigrants
[[link removed]]
* Deportation
[[link removed]]
* Pathway to Citizenship
[[link removed]]
* criminal justice
[[link removed]]
* Racism
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]
INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT
Submit via web
[[link removed]]
Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]
Manage subscription
[[link removed]]
Visit xxxxxx.org
[[link removed]]
Twitter [[link removed]]
Facebook [[link removed]]
[link removed]
To unsubscribe, click the following link:
[link removed]