Writing in the Washington Post this Friday, columnist Greg Sargent says that in his recent ABC News town hall, President Trump revealed a "core truth" about his "law and order" rhetoric that been a focal point of his campaign. "Trump wants voters to believe we’re sliding into civil collapse and that 'Democrat' squeamishness about unshackling state violence to crush unrest is the cause," Sargent writes.
When analyzed closely, Trump is arguing he is on the side of law and order while Biden and the Democrats are on the side of street violence and criminality. While Biden's position is more balanced, Trump is claiming that balance doesn't exist. "But the rub is that this balanced position does exist in the minds of countless voters, likely even majorities," Sargent writes.
Sargent points to a new New York Times and Siena College poll that finds Biden is leading Trump in Arizona among likely voters by 49 percent to 40 percent; in North Carolina by 45 percent to 44 percent (a virtual tie); and in Maine by 55 percent to 38 percent.
"The findings on unrest are instructive: In Arizona, Biden is trusted over Trump to handle 'law and order' by 51 percent to 45 percent, a clear advantage," Sargent writes. "In North Carolina, those numbers are almost a tie — Trump is trusted by 48 percent to 46 percent. Biden has neutralized the issue in a red-leaning state Trump must win, which is striking."
Read the full op-ed over at The Washington Post.
