Poll: Vast Majority Oppose Defunding the Police Including Hispanics and Young Voters

A new ABC News/Ipsos poll shows two-thirds of Americans oppose the radical left’s call to ‘defund the police’, including 58% of Hispanics and 54% of voters eighteen to twenty-nine. The poll also notes a steep decline in concern about contracting the coronavirus, and a desire to reopen the economy and return to normal activities including church, personal care, and leisure.

Two-thirds of Americans reject ‘defunding the police’

Recent demands by radical leftists to ‘defund the police’ gathered steam in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, but 66% of Americans oppose the idea.

Views fall largely along party lines, with 91% of Republicans opposing a ‘defund’ initiative, compared to 45% of Democrats who oppose it. Race is a key factor, with African Americans stating they support the ‘defund’ proposal at twice the rate of Whites. Still, A strong minority of African American voters rejects the idea. Just over a quarter of whites (26%) support defunding, while 57% of Blacks do.

Hispanics are significantly less likely than Black Americans to support defunding the police, with 58% saying they oppose it, as shown below.

Although younger Americans are more likely to support a ‘defund’ initiative than older Americans, a strong majority opposes it, even among the 18 to 29-year-old demographic. Under thirties oppose a defund initiative 54% to 46%, while voters over sixty-five oppose it 81% to 19%. Still, the idea that a majority of Generation Z supports a radical reduction in law enforcement is fundamentally misguided. In fact, previous research on Generation Z’s views on illegal immigration indicates young voters prioritize the law, and over half support more funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency(ICE).

Over half of Americans are ready to attend church, stay in a hotel, eat out, and get a haircut

The poll also shows Americans are significantly less concerned that they or someone they know will contact the coronavirus, and are increasingly ready to return to normal life. While 69% of Americans are still concerned about being infected with the coronavirus, that number has fallen nine percentage points from early June.

Democrats remain significantly more concerned about coronavirus than Republicans, with 82% of Democrats expressing concern vs. 59% of Republicans. Compared to a month ago, Americans are significantly more likely to return to normal activities including attending church (57%), staying in a hotel (57%), eating in a restaurant (59%), and getting a haircut at a salon (69%), as shown below.

Previous polling showed a wide rift between Americans who are optimistic and pessimistic about a return to normal life, with rural voters, men, and Hispanics showing higher levels of optimism, and city dwellers, Black Americans, and women, showing lower levels of optimism.

This data indicates that the radical defund initiatives being pushed by leftwing legislatures are out of touch with most Americans. The Minneapolis City Council recently promised to defund the Minneapolis Police Department, and other cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and  Philadelphia are considering similar budget cuts. Seattle’s mayor recently ceded an entire section of the city to radical leftists and forced law enforcement to withdraw from the area under protest. Actions like these are likely to drive voters away from Democrats.

A radical call to ‘defund the police’ may play well as a trending topic on Twitter, but the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose it including significant majorities of young voters and Hispanics. Better training for police officers and checks on the power of police unions are both instrumental for improving law enforcement relations, but reduced funding is counterproductive.

A growing share of Americans are fed up with constant chaos and watching the radical left seize every opportunity to disturb the peace and then blame President Trump. The irony and irrationality of ridged social distancing rules thrown out the window in the blink of an eye is not lost on many. Strict orders to “stay home”, and “maintain a distance of six feet”, dissolved seemingly overnight into social shaming and harsh accusations of racism for those not ready to march and protest in the midst of a viral epidemic. A recent poll found over half of Americans believe Democratic governors used coronavirus restrictions to hurt Trump in November, and that sentiment is particularly high with Hispanics.

Now, the left is threatening to leave communities vulnerable to more crime, property destruction, violence, and anarchy, just as the nation is struggling to recover. The far left’s strategy of blaming President Trump for everything from a deadly Chinese virus to ensuing unemployment and shamelessly changing the rules and the narrative to serve themselves is becoming almost comically apparent.