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A recent survey conducted after the Pennsylvania shooting and an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump reveals a growing sense of anxiety among Americans, with many believing the country is spiraling out of control. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which closed on Tuesday, found a majority of respondents expressing concerns about the potential for political violence surrounding the upcoming Nov. 5 election.
The two-day poll highlighted a marginal lead for Republican presidential candidate Trump among registered voters, with 43 percent support compared to 41 percent for Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden. This narrow advantage falls within the poll’s 3 percentage point margin of error, indicating that the attempt on Trump’s life has not significantly shifted voter sentiment.
A striking 80 percent of all voters, regardless of party affiliation, agreed with the statement that “the country is spiraling out of control.” The online survey included responses from 1,202 U.S. adults nationwide, 992 of whom were registered voters.
The poll also found that 84 percent of voters are concerned about the possibility of extremist violence following the election, a notable increase from 74 percent in a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in May. These rising fears of political violence have become more prominent since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters attempting to overturn his election loss to Biden, according to Reuters. Jan. 6 resulted in the deaths of four individuals and a Capitol Police officer who died the following day after battling the rioters.
In addition to these findings, 67 percent of respondents expressed concern about violence against their communities due to political beliefs, up from 60% in a June 2023 poll. The latest survey shows bipartisan majorities worried about Americans resorting to violence instead of seeking peaceful solutions to disagreements.
Following the attempt on Trump’s life, both he and President Biden issued calls to lower the intensity of political rhetoric. However, there have been minimal signs of any significant change in the national discourse.
