More Than Half Of Republicans Believe Voter Fraud Claims And Most Still Support Trump, Poll Finds
Topline
A majority of Republicans still believe the baseless claim that the presidential election was “stolen” from President Donald Trump and approximately half believe his spin on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, showing Trump’s continued influence on the party and how the ex-president’s falsehoods about the election and its aftermath have taken hold among his supporters.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on … [+]
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Key Facts
Half of Republicans believe the Jan. 6 siege was “largely a non-violent protest” or done by left-wing activists “trying to make Trump look bad,” the poll found.
Only three in 10 Republicans blame Trump for the attack.
Most respondents overall—59%—blame Trump for the attack, and 80% of Democrats and 60% of Independents do not believe the Jan. 6 events were nonviolent or staged by the left.
While 60% of Americans overall believe President Joe Biden fairly won the presidential election, 60% of Republicans instead believe Trump’s claims that Biden’s win was due to widespread voter fraud despite a lack of credible evidence.
Trump continues to have a strong hold on the GOP: 80% of Republicans have a positive view of the former president, and six in 10 believe he should run for president again in 2024.
The poll was conducted among 1,005 U.S. adults between March 30-31—days after Trump defended the Capitol rioters during a Fox News interview on March 25 and said they posed “zero threat” and “love our country.”
Crucial Quote
“Republicans have their own version of reality,” John Geer, a public opinion expert at Vanderbilt University, told Reuters. “It is a huge problem. Democracy requires accountability and accountability requires evidence.”
Chief Critic
The Republican National Committee said in a comment to Reuters the party condemns the violence on Jan. 6 and referred to a January statement by chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “Those who partook in the assault on our nation’s Capitol and those who continue to threaten violence should be found, held accountable, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McDaniel said.
Key Background
Trump and his allies have been pushing voter fraud claims since the election and tried to overturn the election results in court, and his efforts ultimately culminated in the Capitol attack on the day Congress approved the election results. There is a lack of credible evidence to back up the voter fraud claims and multiple court rulings and election audits have disproved the allegations, and Trump was impeached but not convicted for his role in the attack. The poll’s support for Trump comes as the GOP has been reckoning with the controversial former president: a number of Republicans have come out against the president and voted for his impeachment or conviction, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), but have faced censures and other consequences from the party for doing so. The divide within the GOP has also sparked calls for factions to form their own third parties.
Contra
Republicans’ support for Trump’s voter fraud claims has actually gone down from when similar polls were conducted over the past few months. A February Quinnipiac University poll found 76% of Republicans believed the voter fraud claims, after a December poll from the same group found 77% support. A February poll from the R Street Institute showed 67% of Republicans believed the election was invalid.
What To Watch For
Trump’s voter fraud claims and the support for them on the right has led to a new push by GOP state lawmakers to impose new voting restrictions nationwide—a Brennan Center for Justice analysis found 361 such bills have been introduced in 47 states as of March 24—though Democrats in Congress are pushing a new voting rights bill, H.R. 1, that would nullify many of the restrictions if it passes.
Further Reading
Half of Republicans believe false accounts of deadly U.S. Capitol riot: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters)
Trump Defends Capitol Rioters In Fox News Interview, Claims They Posed ‘Zero Threat’ (Forbes)
GOP Support For Making Voting Easier Plunges While Restrictions Gain Steam, Poll Finds (Forbes)
*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Forbes can be found here ***
