Trump’s crime stance loses favor, former GOP leader says support plummets

A new YouGov Economist poll indicates that half of those surveyed disapprove of Donald Trump’s handling of crime, a notable shift for a traditionally Republican stronghold issue. Former California GOP Committee Chair Mike Madrid told MS NOW that Trump’s approval among independents has dropped to just 13 percent, a historically low figure. Madrid argued that this sour mood is cutting deep into the MAGA base and may leave crime as the sole policy area where Trump could still exceed a 50 percent rating, if any.

He also pointed to a growing credibility issue for Trump on core topics, which is damaging the broader party. Madrid contrasted the current situation with past attempts to use immigration as a winning issue, noting that even the environment for Republicans is worse than it was in 2018 when they lost 40 seats. The commentary suggests the Republican outlook on crime and other key issues is deteriorating.