The National Guard crackdown and a very public North Carolina murder have jolted the party's message.
A Sudden Pivot Back to “Tough on Crime”?
“Democrats turn back to tough-on-crime policies,” ventured Russell Contreras for Axios over the weekend. “A growing number of Democratic officials are embracing tough-on-crime strategies in ways not seen since the 1990s, seeking to counter President Trump’s focus on high violent-crime rates in Democrat-led cities.”
The headline surprised many who’ve followed the issue over the past two years — though perhaps it shouldn’t have.
When it comes to crime, President Donald Trump and the GOP have a clear advantage. It’s no shock that Democrats are now scrambling to counter it — albeit a bit late in the game.
“Trump sets trap for Democrats on crime, and they’re walking right into it,” Liz Peek crowed for FOX News last week.
“Do Democrats really want to repeat their humiliating defeat of 1988? They might if they continue putting criminals ahead of citizens. President Donald Trump will make sure of it.”
Peek added:
“President Trump, whose political instincts are excellent (witness his turns serving fries at McDonald’s or driving a garbage truck during last year’s campaign), is pushing clueless Democrats into a trap. By sending the National Guard into Washington, D.C., and cleaning up our nation’s capital, he has shown what is possible. By resisting his offers to help their cities, Democratic officials in Illinois, California, New York and other blue states are telling their residents they care more about criminals than the people they represent. They will pay for that.”
National Guard Crackdown Turns Up the Heat
Democratic moderates had been begging party leadership for sharper crime messaging long before Trump sent in the National Guard to clean up D.C. in August.
Since that highly publicized crackdown, internal pressure on Democrats to respond has only grown.
“Trump Is Leaning in on Crime. Democrats Need a Better Response — and Fast,” suggested Rachael Bade for POLITICO on August 26, 2025.
“If the president’s recent escalation was an attempt to goad Democrats into declaring that crime isn’t a problem, they did not disappoint him.”
Bade opened bluntly:
“To many Washington insiders, President Trump’s early-August Beltway crime crackdown seemed like an opportunistic and ham-handed pivot after getting walloped for weeks over the Jeffrey Epstein affair. But if it wasn’t clear then, it is now: The White House’s public-safety play is a deliberate ploy to refocus the narrative on an issue that favors Republicans ahead of the midterms — one that’s already backing Democrats into a corner.”
Democrats Urged to Act — or Else
“Democrats need to get tough on crime,” begged Thomas Mills for Politics NC on September 22, 2025. “The North Carolina legislature is back in town to pass a new crime bill. Democrats should get on board. Crime is rising as a top concern of voters and ignoring it could lead to electoral peril. Besides, most of the provisions make sense.”
Mills cited a tragic flashpoint:
“The bill comes in response to the murder of a young Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, on the light-rail in Charlotte. The killer was a repeat offender with very obvious mental-health problems. He shouldn’t have been on the street and the fact that he was highlights weaknesses in our justice system.”
Arit John for CNN struck a similar chord on September 10:
“North Carolina stabbing highlights Democrats’ problems talking about crime. As public outrage grew over last month’s killing on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Vi Lyles focused her initial statement on addressing mental-health issues, warning that ‘we will never arrest our way’ out of some of the underlying causes of crime.”
The backlash was catastrophic — and swift.
“A day later, facing accusations that she had downplayed the stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Lyles pivoted,” John wrote. “She announced an increased law-enforcement presence on the transit system and accused the local courts of ‘tragic failure.’”
Mayor Lyles herself changed course to lament: “Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety.”
The incredible turnabout illustrates how difficult Democrats are finding it to respond effectively to this issue.
High-profile crimes and Trump’s high-visibility crackdown have forced Democrats into a defensive crouch.
Whether they can agree on a coherent response may shape both the midterms and the party’s future identity on law-and-order issues.
(Contributing writer, Brooke Bell)