Republican support for federal law enforcement agencies has risen in the last two years, following President Trump’s return to the White House, according to a new survey.
The Pew Research Center survey found 54 percent of Republicans or those who lean Republican now see the FBI in a positive light, compared with 38 percent in March 2023. For the Department of Justice (DOJ), 51 percent of Republicans and those who lean Republican saw the department in a positive light, compared with 40 percent in March 2023.
Overall, respondents who viewed the FBI in a positive light dropped from 52 percent in March 2023 to 48 percent in the new Pew survey. Forty-nine percent of respondents overall viewed the DOJ in a positive light in March 2023, which dropped to 39 percent in the latest survey.
In the first several months of his administration, President Trump has looked to reshape agencies across the government, including the Department of Justice. Democrats accuse the president of weaponizing the agency against his perceived political enemies.
At the start of his second term, Trump signed an executive order aimed at remedying “past misconduct” that he said had weaponized the federal government under former President Biden.
The Pew survey took place between Aug. 4 and 10, featuring 3,554 people and a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.
The poll asked 1,770 people about the FBI and 1,784 people about the DOJ, with a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points. At least 789 Republicans or people who lean Republican were asked about these agencies, with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.
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