A recent poll has highlighted the concerning number of individuals who believe that political violence in the United States could be a means to restore the country’s direction.
These unsettling statistics come amidst increasing tensions in the U.S., following a series of politically motivated incidents, including the death of Charlie Kirk.
Last month, the conservative commentator was killed during an event hosted by his organization, Turning Point USA, at Utah Valley University.
The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is currently detained without bail and faces several charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, witness tampering, and committing a violent crime in the presence of a child.
Since the incident, a national debate has emerged regarding political violence in America. A new survey indicates that some individuals view it as a potential method to steer the country in a better direction.
The NPR/PBR News/Marist poll reveals that approximately 28 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of Republicans are in favor of political violence as a means to realign the country.
In essence, about three in ten respondents either strongly agree (11 percent) or agree (19 percent) that political violence might be necessary for the country to regain its footing.
These findings reflect a 16 percent rise among Democrats and a three percent increase among Republicans, based on a survey conducted with 1,400 participants last month.
The pollsters acknowledge a three percent margin of error in the data.
While these numbers are indeed concerning, it’s crucial to understand that the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose any form of political violence.
A total of 79 percent of respondents expressed their disapproval, including 87 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans.
The nation appears more divided than ever, and recent remarks by Donald Trump have not helped ease the tension following Kirk’s death.
Last month, during an interview on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, co-host Ainsley Earhardt questioned Trump on his plans to unify the nation.
Earhardt asked, “Because we have radicals on the right as well. We have radicals on the left. People are watching all of these videos and cheering. Some people are cheering that Charlie was killed. How do we fix this country? How do we come back together?”
Trump responded, “I’ll tell you something that’s going to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime.”
“They don’t want to see crime. Worried about the border. They’re saying, we don’t want these people coming in. We don’t want you burning our shopping centers. We don’t want you shooting our people in the middle of the street.”
He further claimed that the ‘radical left’ is ‘the problem,’ stating, “They’re vicious and they’re horrible and they’re politically savvy, although they want men and women sports, they want transgender for everyone, they want open borders.”