A recent poll shows that about 30% of American adults believe the 2020 election was not fair.
January 6th marks the third year since the Capitol Attack. The Washington Post/University of Maryland (Post-UMD) survey examines changing opinions about it. A similar poll was done in December 2021.
Changing Republican Views On Capitol Attack
It’s been over three years since the capitol attack on January 6. Republicans are now more sympathetic towards the people who stormed the Capitol. They are also more likely to say that Donald Trump isn’t to blame for the attack. This is according to a poll by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland.
The former president is seeking reelection. He is also facing legal issues over his actions after losing in 2020. Republicans are becoming more supportive of the former president. They are now less likely to think that most people involved in the attack were violent.
Law Enforcement’s Role In Riot Revisions
In later interviews, some people said they changed their minds about the event. This is because they now think law enforcement caused the riot to silence political disagreement. This idea was spread by Trump in his speeches and legal battles against federal charges in Washington D.C.
“From a historical perspective, these results would be chilling to many analysts,” Michael J. Hanmer said. He is the director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland.
Republicans Divided Opinions
Republican opinions are more divided compared to Democrats. They mostly agree that the riot was a violent attack on democracy and that Trump is responsible for it.
“In the current context of hyper-partisanship, there seem to be some divisions among Republicans,” he said. Independents, according to the poll, mostly side with Democrats.
Doubts About Biden’s Election Win
More Americans are beginning to question Biden’s win compared to two years ago. This is despite the many audits and televised hearings that proved the election was fair.
In December 2021, 69 percent of Americans believed Biden won the election fairly. Now, only 62 percent think so. Republicans who see Biden’s election as fair dropped from 39 percent in 2021 to 31 percent today. About 36 percent of Americans do not accept Biden’s victory as legitimate.
Generational Divide On Biden’s Win
Results of the poll show that the elderly and college graduates are more likely to believe the election was fair compared to younger folks. Around 30% of those who rely on Fox News for information believe Biden won legitimately in 2020.
In interviews with The Post, many voters cited proof they believe debunks the election’s fairness. They mentioned the debunked claim about a video showing fake ballots in Georgia. Recently two women in that video won a $148 million lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani for spreading defamatory statements.
January 6th, An Attack On Democracy
55% of Americans see the storming of the Capitol as “an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten.” Democrats and independents largely share this perspective. But most Republicans and Trump supporters disagree with this assessment.
Over 70 percent of Republicans believe that too much has been made of the attack and that it’s time to move forward. Only 18 percent of Republicans think the protesters on January 6 were violent. This is down from 26 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, 77% of Democrats and 54% of independents believe the protesters were violent. This statistic is similar to 2021.
Voices Of Voter Frustration And Conspiracy Theory
“There were so many people that felt the election was rigged. It was not right for them to break in like that, but they were fed up and frustrated. They were whipped into a frenzy by the FBI and others,” said Colleen Michaels, 59, of Woodsfield, Ohio.
A Republican voter explained that she would have attended if she hadn’t suffered a stroke. Her sister went but didn’t enter the building. This was after seeing others run out with chemical spray in their eyes. She’s since watched footage shown by Tucker Carlson. Now, she believes in the theory that undercover FBI agents provoked the riot.
Republican Perspectives On Capitol Riot Punishments
Peggy Orr, 67, a Republican from Nebraska believes the rioters did pose a threat to democracy. Though she doesn’t think the 2020 election was fair. “I’ve never joined a protest or tried to break windows. Why? because I didn’t like the way the election went, and I don’t think people should. You have to accept the results,” she said.
55% of Republicans think penalties for those involved in the riot have been “fair” per the poll results. This figure is down from 64 percent in 2021. 10% of independents and about 90% of Democrats say punishments have been fair enough.
Changing Views On Trump’s Responsibility: Republican Support Shifts
Today, Republicans are standing up for Trump more than before. Two years ago, 60 percent of Americans thought Trump was mostly or partly to blame for the attack. But only 53 percent do so now. Among Republicans, 14 percent hold him responsible, down from 27 percent in 2021.
“In the beginning when I heard about it, I was very upset that Trump didn’t come out and say, ‘Stop,'” said Gloria Bowden of Jacksonville. She is a 68-year-old independent voter who leans Republican. She has since seen video clips of police using tear gas and rubber bullets on rioters. That changed her views as she now thinks the attack was caused by law enforcement.
Trump’s Persistent Claim Of Election Fraud
Trump is still leading the Republican Party’s race for the 2024 presidency. This is despite the fact he’s facing four criminal indictments with a total of 91 charges.
Trump has maintained he was the rightful winner of the presidency. This is despite numerous election audits and more than 60 lawsuits. All of which lost in court after failing to prove claims that the election was unfairly decided.
Barr Dismisses Election Fraud Claims
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Bill Barr said after the last elections.
Bill Barr was Trump’s attorney general and the post-UMD poll was conducted Dec. 14-18 among 1,024 U.S. adults.
