Eight in 10 Americans are concerned the country is spinning out of control following the assassination attempt on former President Trump over the weekend, according to a new poll.
of Reuters/Ipsos pollThe poll, conducted just days after a gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, found that 80% of voters are concerned about political violence, and that this doesn’t vary across party lines.
The 20-year-old gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, climbed onto a rooftop near Trump’s rally, with a clear view of where the former president was speaking. He fired several shots, including one that grazed Trump’s ear. The incident left Crooks and another event attendee dead and two others seriously injured, according to the Secret Service.
Trump was tackled and secured by Secret Service agents and, as they helped him to his feet, he pumped his fist and said, “Fight!” before being hurriedly escorted off the stage.
According to the survey, 84% of voters are concerned that extremists dissatisfied with the election results will commit acts of violence after the election. By party affiliation, 90% of Democrats, 77% of Republicans, and 81% of independents said they were concerned about political violence surrounding the election.
The poll found that nearly all respondents said it was unacceptable for members of their own party to use violence to achieve political goals.
The assassination attempt evoked memories of past shootings of presidents, and leaders of both parties called on Americans to ease political divisions and condemned political violence of any kind.
This follows the 2022 attack on the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
The survey was conducted July 16 among 1,202 people and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
