Trump addressed thousands of supporters shortly before the Capitol attack (File)
Washington:
A year after the violent attack on the US Capitol, Americans are deeply concerned about the health of their democracy, and nearly a third say violence against the government can sometimes be justified, according to two polls published on Sunday. Is.
The January 6 attack on a Congressional seat, led by supporters of Donald Trump, was a “harbinger of escalating political violence” and that American democracy was “in danger,” according to two-thirds of those surveyed for a CBS News poll.
Meanwhile, Americans’ “proud” of their democracy has fallen sharply, from 90 percent in 2002 to 54 percent now, as a Washington Post/University of Maryland poll found.
With the anniversary of January 6 approaching, the polls present specific cause for concern: CBS found that 28 percent of respondents believed force could be used to protect the outcome of an election. 34 percent told The Washington Post that violent action against the government can sometimes be justified – the largest percentage in decades.
The results underscore the almost irreconcilable ideas dividing American society, which President Joe Biden – who took office 14 days after the Capitol riots – has promised to dispel.
Two-thirds of Trump supporters continue to believe his baseless allegation that Biden is not a legitimately elected president.
Trump addressed thousands of supporters shortly before the Capitol attack, telling them the election was “rigged” and that he should “fight like hell.”
Nearly 60 percent of those polled say Trump bears heavy responsibility for the attack on the Capitol, just as lawmakers were determined to attest to Biden’s victory.
‘coordinated effort’
There again, opinion follows partisan lines: 83 percent of Trump voters put their level of responsibility to only “few” or “none,” the Post poll found.
And 26 percent of Americans want him to run again in 2024, according to CBS.
A select committee of the House of Representatives has worked for months to establish the role and responsibility of those who may or may have instigated the protests.
Despite limited cooperation from Trump’s inner circle, the panel conducted more than 300 interviews and collected thousands of documents.
“We’ve uncovered some things that cause us genuine concern, like people … are trying to undermine the integrity of our democracy,” Representative Benny Thompson, the panel’s chair, said on ABC on Sunday.
“It appears to be a coordinated effort on the part of many to undermine the election,” he said.
“It could be people in the executive branch. It could be people in the Defense Department … and some very wealthy people.”
He said he would not hesitate to refer any evidence of illegality to the Justice Department.
Liz Cheney, one of only two Republicans on the panel, on Sunday strongly condemned Trump for waiting hours before urging Capitol rioters to stand up.
He could have easily issued such a call, he told ABC.
“He failed to do so. It is hard to imagine a more significant and more serious neglect of duty.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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