From ‘Rage Against the Regime’ to the National Guard: America’s Protest Divide

The politics of 2025 are not only being shaped in Congress or at high-level summits but also in the streets of Washington, D.C., where mass protests and federal crackdowns have become defining flashpoints of the Trump presidency. The deployment of the National Guard, the arrests that followed and the waves of demonstrations such as the “Rage Against the Regime” marches have all thrust street-level politics into the centre of the national debate. Polling from early September shows an electorate fractured along predictable partisan lines but also divided by gender and age. [\[1\]](/research/from-rage-against-the-regime-to-the-national-guard-americas-protest-divide)

The National Guard Question

The clearest flashpoint has been President Trump’s decision to deploy more than 2,000 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., part of a wider federal takeover of the capital’s policing powers. The move triggered both street demonstrations and sharp splits in public opinion. Polling shows the country is nearly evenly divided: 48% support deployment (29% strongly, 19% somewhat), while 45% oppose (32% strongly, 13% somewhat). Another 7% say they don’t know.

Party identity dictates much of the divide. Republican voters are overwhelmingly behind Trump, with 82% supportive, while Democrats are just as united against the move, with 79% opposed. The gender gap is smaller but still meaningful: men lean toward support (55%), while women lean against (41%). Age divides the electorate further, young voters aged 18–24 are strongly opposed, while those in their 30s tilt toward support. Senior voters are also split with those over 65 showing 47% support and 48% opposition.

The polling numbers reflect what has played out on the ground. The “Rage Against the Regime” marches in August were some of the largest demonstrations of Trump’s second term, drawing thousands into Washington’s streets. Protesters rallied under the slogan “Free D.C.”, accusing the administration of militarising the capital and undermining local self-governance. That message resonated with Democrats in the poll but Republicans saw the Guard’s presence as restoring order after weeks of unrest. [\[2\]](/research/from-rage-against-the-regime-to-the-national-guard-americas-protest-divide)

Were the Protests Justified?

In terms of the legitimacy of the protests themselves, the public leans heavily towards justification. A majority of 54% said the demonstrations were justified, while 26% said they were unjustified and 19% were unsure.

Democrats were emphatic: 72% called the protests justified and only a small minority disagreed. Most interestingly, the majority of Republicans (42%) also responded that the protests were justified (41% said unjustified), a rare point of agreement between supporters of the two opposing parties.

Gender and age again shaped the results. Men (59%) were more supportive of protest than women (48%). Younger voters were the most convinced: majorities in the 18–34 range saw the protests as justified, echoing the youthful energy visible at the “Rage Against the Regime” marches. Older voters were less certain, with seniors splitting evenly and registering the highest levels of polarisation.

Protest: Healthy or Destabilising?

Beyond specific marches, asked whether large-scale protests against Trump are a healthy sign of democracy or destabilising acts of division, 40% chose democracy, while 28% saw division. Another 20% said both, a signal of how many voters hold competing values in mind at once.

Democrats overwhelmingly framed protest as democratic (61%), while Republicans leaned toward destabilising (41% destabilising). Age made a difference too: although all age groups sided with protests being healthy, those 65+ showed the most support (45%) whereas those between 25–34 showed the least support (35%).

Sympathy: Protesters or Police?

When protests escalated during ICE raids and police actions in D.C., the public was asked where their sympathies lay. The results were evenly spread: 34% sided with protesters, 31% with law enforcement and 23% said both equally.

Here too, partisanship was decisive. Democrats overwhelmingly sympathised with protesters (57%); Republicans with police (53%). Gender nuances persisted: men leaned slightly toward law enforcement (35%), while women leaned to protesters (34%). Younger Americans were the most protest-friendly, while sympathy for law enforcement rose with age, peaking among seniors.

Public Safety vs. Civil Liberties

Another question got to the heart of the debate: what recent protests made people more worried about, public safety or civil liberties? Overall, 27% chose public safety, 24% civil liberties and 31% both equally. Republicans leaned heavily toward safety, Democrats toward liberty and younger voters tilted towards civil-liberties-first, while older voters emphasised safety.

This captures the underlying fault line: for Trump’s backers, the overriding concern is disorder; for his critics, it is overreach.

Are Protests Effective?

Finally, Americans were asked whether sustained protests are an effective way to influence government. A majority of 56% said yes, though most placed that in the “somewhat effective” rather than “strongly effective” category. 36% said protests are ineffective, with scepticism highest among seniors and Republicans.

Once again, Democrats were the most persuaded (66% said effective), Republicans divided (51% vs. 43%) and women more uncertain than men. Younger cohorts were the most confident that demonstrations matter, consistent with their higher support for protest legitimacy across the board.

The September polling captures how protest politics have become a defining feature of Trump’s second term. The deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and the surge of marches like “Rage Against the Regime” have left the public split almost evenly between backing enforcement and defending dissent. Republicans frame the Guard as restoring order, Democrats see protests as a democratic necessity and younger voters are far more sympathetic to civil liberties than older cohorts. With many Americans choosing “both” or withholding judgment, the politics of protest remain unsettled, less a clear verdict than an uneasy balance between liberty and order.

* * *

[\[1\]](/research/from-rage-against-the-regime-to-the-national-guard-americas-protest-divide) USA TODAY

[\[2\]](/research/from-rage-against-the-regime-to-the-national-guard-americas-protest-divide) BBC News

Download the data tables for this poll.