83 percent in new poll concerned about political violence

A majority of Americans in a new survey said they are concerned about political violence, with many linking the idea to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on the Capitol.

The new poll from Navigator — a Democratic research firm — found 83 percent of participants were concerned about the threat of political violence in the U.S. today. About 42 percent of this group said they are “very concerned,” while 41 percent said they are “somewhat concerned.”

They also indicated they are worried about rising political violence in the future, with 85 percent expressing some degree of concern.

Democrats are slightly more likely to be worried than Republicans about a perceived threat, the pollsters found.

About 86 percent of Democratic respondents say they are concerned over political violence today, compared to 80 percent of Republicans. Ninety-three percent of Democrats said they’re concerned about future political violence, while 79 percent of Republicans said the same.

The poll results showed that Democrats are also more likely to associate terms like “January 6,” “Trump,” and “white supremacy” with the idea of political violence, while Republicans said terms like “fighting,” “riots,” and “Democrats” are more likely to be related. Independents fell somewhere in the middle, mentioning terms such as “riots,” “fighting” and “protests.”

Republicans are also perceived as more prone to use political violence to push their agenda, with 47 percent of participants agreeing with the sentiment. Broken down by party, 80 percent of Democrats said Republicans are more prone to political violence, while 68 percent of Republicans said Democrats are more prone to it. Among independents, 38 percent said Republicans, 23 percent chose Democrats and 39 percent said they were unsure.

For those who chose the Republican Party, the most mentioned reasons were the terms “January 6th” and “Trump,” according to the poll.

The poll’s findings suggest a lasting impact of the Jan. 6 insurrection, where rioters stormed the nation’s Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in former President Trump’s favor.

About 75 percent of those surveyed said they oppose the actions of “the Trump supporters,” who breached the Capitol, while 59 percent of Republicans said the same. A majority of Democrats and independents — 87 percent and 82 percent, respectively — said the same.

The event, encapsulated by claims that the 2020 election was stolen, has created divides among the Republican Party, with some critics of the belief feeling ostracized in their party.

Trump is currently facing two criminal indictments over his perceived attempt to stay in power after losing the election to President Biden — one in federal court and a second state case in Georgia. Some political figures, notably former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), have also placed blame on the former president for helping to incite the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The Navigator study was conducted among 1,000 registered voters from Nov. 3 to Dec. 4.