Americans Largely Oppose Trump's National Guard Deployments Amid Protests, Poll Reveals

A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates a significant majority of Americans disapprove of former President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard or active-duty military to states grappling with protests. The findings underscore a broad public skepticism toward the use of armed forces in response to civil unrest, particularly in the wake of the nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd.

The poll, conducted in mid-June, found that 59% of Americans disapprove of the federal government sending active-duty military or National Guard units to states to address protests.

This opposition is particularly stark among Democrats, with 80% expressing disapproval, and independents, at 60%. While Republicans show more support, even within their ranks, approval stands at 54%, suggesting a notable segment of the party did not fully endorse the move.

When differentiating between the National Guard and active-duty military, public opinion varied slightly but maintained a general trend of disapproval.

Fifty-one percent of respondents disapproved of deploying the National Guard to states to help local law enforcement, compared to 47% who approved. However, opposition grew considerably stronger regarding the deployment of active-duty military, with 65% disapproving against only 33% who approved. This distinction highlights public discomfort with the idea of highly trained military personnel, traditionally used for combat, being used for domestic crowd control.

The context of these deployments was Trump's aggressive stance against the protests, which he often characterized as violent and disorderly.

His rhetoric, including calls to "dominate" the streets and threats to invoke the Insurrection Act, stirred considerable debate about the appropriate federal response to demonstrations. This approach contrasted sharply with the views of many Americans who perceived the protests as legitimate expressions of grievance.

Indeed, the poll also revealed broader public perceptions regarding police conduct and the nature of the protests themselves.

Fifty-four percent of Americans believe that local police use excessive force too often, and 60% consider the protests against police brutality to be legitimate. While 39% thought the protests were too violent, a majority of 60% described them as mainly peaceful, reflecting a nuanced understanding of the demonstrations often overshadowed by media focus on isolated incidents of unrest.

Significant racial disparities emerged in these perceptions.

A striking 92% of Black Americans believe police use too much force, compared to 49% of white Americans and 58% of Hispanic Americans. Similarly, 80% of Black Americans viewed the protests as legitimate, a higher percentage than white (57%) and Hispanic (68%) respondents. These findings underscore the deep-seated differences in experiences and perspectives on law enforcement and social justice across racial lines.

Unsurprisingly, approval of Trump's overall handling of the protests was low, with only 34% approving and 65% disapproving nationally.

This polarized response saw 77% of Republicans approving, while a mere 10% of Democrats shared that view. This wide partisan chasm reflects the broader political divisions that characterized the period.

The survey also probed public trust in various information sources concerning the protests.

Local news outlets garnered the highest trust, with 61% of respondents finding them credible. National news sources were trusted by 49%, while friends and family were trusted by 31%. The White House, under the Trump administration, registered the lowest level of trust at just 20%, indicating a significant credibility gap between the administration and the public it sought to inform.

The poll surveyed 1,316 adults between June 11-15, 2020, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points, providing a statistically sound snapshot of public opinion during a tumultuous period in American history.