Topline
A majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump is using federal law enforcement to target his political enemies, according to results of a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday, as the Justice Department moves to prosecute three of the president’s critics and political adversaries.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton leaves court after pleading not guilty to charges of mishandling classified information.
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Key Facts
The results of the Reuters poll largely broke down along party lines—85% of Democrats believed Trump is targeting his enemies, while only 29% of Republicans agreed.
About 55% of respondents who identified as “other” also agreed Trump was targeting his enemies, while 27% said they were unsure and only 18% said no.
A Quinnipiac poll released on Wednesday found similar results—52% of respondents said Trump’s Justice Department was filing “unjustified criminal charges” against his opponents, including 92% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and only 6% of Republicans.
Key Background
The Reuters poll concluded on Monday, days after John Bolton, Trump’s former national security advisor during his first term, was indicted on criminal charges for mishandling classified documents. Bolton, a foreign policy veteran who was former President George W. Bush’s ambassador to the United Nations, became a Trump critic after his short tenure at the White House ended in 2019. Bolton published a critical memoir during Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, which the Trump administration argued contained classified information. Bolton was the third Trump critic indicted on federal charges in the few weeks. Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on charges including making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice in September. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully sued the president for fraud in 2024, was indicted on charges of mortgage fraud.
Tangent
The results also come as the Trump administration ramps up federal law enforcement activities in American cities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have sparked controversy in Chicago and Los Angeles. The president has also tried to deploy National Guard troops to protect federal property in cities including Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago. Courts have allowed the Trump administration’s deployments in California and Oregon, but paused their presence in Chicago. The Quinnipiac poll found a majority of Americans—about 56%—disagreed with the deployments and presence of federal agents. These results again broke down along party lines, with 92% of Republicans approving the crackdown and 96% of Democrats opposing it. But more independents took issue with the deployments, according to the poll. About 65% disapproved of the Trump administration’s tactics, while only 32% approved.
