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FILE - Director Philip Martin in the press room at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards Sept. 16, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

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FILE - In this photo illuminated by an off-camera flash, a woman walks past a homeless person's tent with a chair in downtown Los Angeles, Feb. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

A new AP-NORC poll finds that while most Democrats disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue, a large majority, 68%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities. That’s despite the fact that statistics show crime, overall, is down across the nation. The findings underscore the challenge facing Democratic leaders. They must thread the needle between criticizing Trump’s policies, which are deeply unpopular among their base, while at the same time not dismissing widespread concerns about safety, which are amplified in many news sources and in online forums like Facebook and the popular NextDoor app. That could create a vulnerability for the party heading into next year’s midterm elections, but the party is working to address it.