New Polls Show Increased Support for Political Violence Among Americans, Particularly Trump Supporters and White Evangelicals

PRRI and Brookings Institution report reveals significant rise in political violence endorsement since the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, with 23% of Americans open to the idea, and support from a concerning 41% of those with a favourable view of Trump.

• According to a report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Brookings Institution, support for political violence has increased in the US since the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, with now 23% of Americans endorsing the idea, up from 15% two years ago. This includes 33% of Republicans and a particular rise among white evangelicals and supporters of Donald Trump.
• 41% of Americans with a favorable view of Trump are open to violence from 'true American patriots'. Notably, Trump's recent violent rhetoric has experts fearing it may further incite his followers to take dangerous actions.
• Belief in the stolen election narrative, combined with favorable views of Trump, is strongly correlated with white Christian nationalism. PRRI finds individuals subscribing to this belief are considerably more likely to support the notion of resorting to violence to 'save the country'.
• Public opinion on the use of violence has increased across all religious preferences in the past two years, with the most notable jump among white evangelicals - up from 24% in 2021 to 33% in 2023.
• The rising acceptance of political violence is viewed as a worrying trend, with one party potentially setting the stage for a follow-up of the Capitol attack in case of election disputes. This trend is portrayed as a potential risk to democracy itself by some commentators.

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