Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, are divided regarding the notion of whether or not violence against the government is the right thing, with some arguing that it is sometimes justified, a new poll shows.
The situation comes one year after the unprecedented attack on the United States Capitol, calling into question whether or not former President Donald Trump bears responsibility for the assault of his loyal supporters.
American Divide
The survey raises nearly every issue in the United States, including partisan divisions to both the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the 2020 presidential election debate. The poll also highlighted the violence that occurred at the Capitol and the severity of the sentences that authorities handed down on convicted protesters. It also included questions on whether or not President Joe Biden was legitimately elected or not.
Broad bipartisan agreement was seen in only one question regarding injured law enforcement officers. About a third of Americans said that violent action against the federal government was sometimes justified, recorded at 34%. The same sentiment is shared by 40% of Republicans, 41% of Independents, and 23% of Democrats, the Washington Post reported.
However, based on an ABC/Ipsos poll, many people also believe that former President Trump is at least partially to blame for the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot. An overwhelming majority in the poll showed that many Americans believed the people involved in the assault were "threatening democracy." The numbers come in contrast to one in four that said the protesters were "protecting democracy."
Democrats made up the majority of those believing that demonstrators on Jan. 6 were threatening democracy, coming to 96%. On the other hand, Republicans are somewhat split on the issue, with 45% saying it was a threat while 52% said it was a protection of the country's democracy.
Unanimous Agreement
The poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel, also showed how Democrats were in a unanimous agreement where 91% believed that Trump held responsibility for the Capitol siege, ABC News reported.
The survey also showed that a majority of Americans believed Biden's 2020 presidential election win was legitimate, recorded at 65%. On the other hand, about a third said that the Democrat's electoral victory was a fraud, a year after he was inaugurated.
The ABC/Ipsos poll was conducted between Dec. 27 and Dec. 29 last year and was given to 982 adult Americans. The margin of error for the survey was at 3.5 percentage points with a 95% confidence level, The Hill reported.
The situation comes as a new book, titled The Steal claims that Republicans attempted to fulfill the former president's goals through legal action in key states. The book said that rioters involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot "had no more chance of overthrowing the U.S. government than hippies in 1967 had trying to levitate the Pentagon." However, the unprecedented event was still by far the most serious attack on the seat of the federal government since the British burned Washington in 1814.
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