Only 31% of Americans Think Trump Ban Makes U.S. Safer

Fewer than one-third of Americans say they believe President Trump’s new immigration ban will help protect them from terrorism, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The study, conducted Jan. 30 and 31, found that one in two Americans—49 percent—backed the ban. But only about 31 percent of those polled said they believed it makes them “more safe.” Some 26 percent said it made them feel “less safe.” About 33 percent of those polled said the executive order wouldn’t make a difference. Reuters notes that the findings exhibited harsh divisions along party lines. Trump has said “extreme vetting” is necessary to protect the U.S. and its borders. “This is not about religion,” Trump noted in a statement Friday. “This is about terror and keeping our country safe.”