Trump is leaning into his crackdown on city crime. The GOP sees it as a winning issue

Trump threatened to deploy more troops to U.S. cities this week — and not just the National Guard — as part of what he describes as his national crackdown on crime.

Political data points to a clear opportunity for Trump and the Republicans.

Though FBI data show that violent crime decreased by 4.5 percent last year, a new Gallup poll released Thursday shows almost half of Americans — 49 percent — feel that crime has risen from last year — while about a third — or 33 percent — feel crime has gone down.

The Gallup poll also reveals some political risks for Trump. More Americans oppose using federal troops to combat domestic crime than support the move — but the divide is largely along political lines, as Republicans overwhelmingly support the use of troops while Democrats are opposed.