Nearly One-Third of Republicans Believe Violence Necessary to 'Save' America, Poll Reveals
03:51 GMT 02.11.2021 (Updated: 13:59 GMT 19.12.2022)
© AP Photo / Manuel Balce CenetaFILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Congress is set to hear from former security officials about what went wrong at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That's when when a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes. Three of the four testifying Tuesday resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, including the former head of the Capitol Police.
![FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Congress is set to hear from former security officials about what went wrong at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That's when when a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes. Three of the four testifying Tuesday resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, including the former head of the Capitol Police. FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Congress is set to hear from former security officials about what went wrong at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That's when when a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes. Three of the four testifying Tuesday resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, including the former head of the Capitol Police. - Sputnik International, 1920, 02.11.2021](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/03/04/1082257832_0:0:2833:1594_1920x0_80_0_0_4016d3d1cb7fba022bf21ffbbb19f11b.jpg)
© AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta
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An alarming Public Religion Research Institute poll has indicated that 30% of US Republicans believe violence is justified to restore what they consider to be their version of America.
The findings emerged as political violence in the United States has become a pressing concern in the wake of the deadly January 6th Capitol attack that is being analysed by US lawmakers as part of an ongoing commission.
The poll asked if participants in the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll agreed with the statement, "Because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country". The poll found that 30% of Republican respondents, 17% of Independents, and 11% of Democrats agreed with the statement.
The poll further determined that among Republicans that got their news and opinions from right-wing sources including Newsmax and One America News, their agreement with the question increased to 40%. Republicans who trust Fox News saw that figure decrease to 32%, and those that mostly trust mainstream news sources dropped to 22%.
The poll also found that 39% of participants who believe that the 2020 election was stolen from former US President Donald Trump agreed that "true American patriots may have to resort to violence".
Two other significant markers were respondents agreeing "that things have changed so much they feel like strangers in their own country", and that "those who think American culture has mostly changed for the worse since the 1950s".
For those participating in the political survey that feel like "strangers in their own country", 29% agreed that resorting to violence may be necessary, and for those who thought American culture had changed for the worse, 23% agreed political violence could be justified.
Robert Jones, CEO and founder of PRRI, described the poll's results as an "alarming finding". He continued, "I've been doing this a while, for decades, and it's not the kind of finding that as a sociologist, a public opinion pollster, that you're used to seeing".
Jones said he believes that Trump's rhetoric following the 2020 election is largely to blame for the normalisation of political violence among Republicans. Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League's Centre on Extremism, said the percentage of Democrats and Independents who expressed support for this idea is also "enough to be concerning".
Results of the poll show that while Republicans appear to be more comfortable with political violence, the issue is a concern for both political parties.