50% Of Americans Say Senate Should Convict Trump In Senate Impeachment Trial, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; 74% Say Social Media Sites Should Be Held Accountable For Spread Of Disinformation
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With less than a week before the U.S. Senate is set to begin its impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on charges he incited the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, half of Americans say the Senate should convict Trump and 45 percent say the Senate should not convict him, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University national poll of 1,075 adults released today.
Democrats say 86 - 11 percent the Senate should convict. Among independents, 49 percent say convict and 45 percent say the Senate should not convict. Republicans say 86 - 12 percent the Senate should not convict Trump.
2020 ELECTION BELIEFS
Despite the fact that Congress certified Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election last month and numerous federal and state courts rejected claims of widespread voter fraud, over three-quarters of Republicans say they believe there was widespread voter fraud.
Overall, a majority of Americans say 59 - 36 percent that they do not believe there was widespread voter fraud. Democrats say 95 - 4 percent and independents say 59 - 35 percent that they do not believe there was widespread fraud. Republicans say 76 - 19 percent that they believe there was widespread fraud.
"The impeachment question is framed by two distinctly different versions of history and offers as vivid an example of the chasm between Republicans and Democrats as you can find," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.
CONCERNS ABOUT EXTREMIST VIOLENCE
Three-quarters of Americans say they are either very concerned (48 percent) or somewhat concerned (27 percent) about continued violence in the United States by extremist groups emboldened by the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Twenty-two percent say they are either not so concerned (9 percent) or not concerned at all (13 percent).
SOCIAL MEDIA AND DISINFORMATION
Americans say 74 - 20 percent that social media sites should be held accountable for the spread of disinformation. The support for holding social media sites accountable is similar across the board among groups defined by political party, gender, race, age and education level.
"Global, massively influential and too often flat out wrong, the flow of social web information is in need of policing, say Americans," added Malloy.
DEMOCRACY IN THE U.S.
Roughly 7 in 10 Americans (71 percent) say that democracy in the United States is under threat and 22 percent say it is alive and well. Republicans say 85 - 11 percent, independents say 70 - 25 percent and Democrats say 67 - 26 percent that democracy is under threat.
Additional poll findings released on February 3rd, 2021 showed that 45 percent of Americans think the state of the nation's democracy is a crisis and 43 percent said the state of the nation's democracy is a problem, but not a crisis. Only 9 percent said it is not a problem at all.
PARTISAN DIVISIONS
Looking ahead to the next few years, close to 4 in 10 Americans (39 percent) expect partisan divisions in the country to worsen, one-third (33 percent) expect them to remain the same and 20 percent expect them to ease.
On a personal level, Americans were asked whether they have limited interactions over the last four years with friends, acquaintances or family members who do not share their political views. Seven out of ten Americans (70 percent) say they have not limited those interactions and 27 percent say they have.
Republicans say 83 - 16 percent they have not limited their interactions over the last four years with friends, acquaintances or family members who don't share their political views. Independents say 70 - 27 percent and Democrats say 60 - 38 percent they also have not limited their interactions.
1,075 U.S. adults nationwide were surveyed from January 28th - February 1st with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Doug Schwartz, Ph.D. since 1994, conducts independent, non-partisan national and state polls on politics and issues. Surveys adhere to industry best practices and are based on random samples of adults using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones.
Visit poll.qu.edu or www.facebook.com/quinnipiacpoll
Email poll@qu.edu, or follow us on Twitter @QuinnipiacPoll.
Poll Questions
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Question 25. Do you believe there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, or not?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes/Believe 36% 76% 4% 35% 43% 29% 31% 53% No 59 19 95 59 53 66 67 43 DK/NA 5 4 1 6 4 5 2 4 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes/Believe 37% 32% 41% 35% 54% 36% 45% 23% No 61 60 56 63 43 61 52 72 DK/NA 2 8 3 2 3 3 3 5 -
Question 26. Which comes closer to your point of view: democracy in the United States is alive and well or democracy in the United States is under threat?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Alive and well 22% 11% 26% 25% 22% 22% 17% 19% Under threat 71 85 67 70 72 71 80 75 DK/NA 7 4 6 5 6 8 2 6 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Alive and well 32% 23% 18% 17% 19% 18% 18% 29% Under threat 58 74 79 80 75 78 77 65 DK/NA 11 3 4 3 6 4 5 5 -
Question 27. Over the next few years, do you expect partisan divisions in the country to ease, to worsen, or to remain about the same as they are today?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Ease 20% 8% 34% 18% 13% 26% 25% 17% Worsen 39 63 19 40 45 34 40 48 Remain same 33 27 40 34 36 31 33 31 DK/NA 7 2 7 9 6 9 2 3 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Ease 13% 21% 24% 22% 12% 28% 20% 20% Worsen 35 40 44 37 50 41 45 30 Remain same 43 32 29 35 34 29 32 38 DK/NA 8 7 3 6 4 2 3 12 -
Question 28. As you may know, now that the House of Representatives has voted to impeach former President Trump, the Senate will hold a trial. Do you think the Senate should vote to convict former President Trump, or don't you think so?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes/Should convict 50% 12% 86% 49% 43% 58% 59% 37% No 45 86 11 45 53 37 39 60 DK/NA 5 2 3 6 4 5 2 3 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes/Should convict 51% 50% 50% 52% 33% 56% 45% 60% No 46 42 47 45 64 42 53 34 DK/NA 3 8 3 3 3 3 3 6 -
Question 29. Over the last four years, have you limited your interaction with friends, acquaintances, or family members who don't share your political views, or not?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes 27% 16% 38% 27% 25% 29% 33% 28% No 70 83 60 70 73 67 65 71 DK/NA 3 - 2 3 2 3 2 1 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes 26% 30% 25% 30% 25% 34% 30% 24% No 73 66 74 67 74 64 69 73 DK/NA 1 4 2 3 1 1 1 3 -
Question 30. Do you think social media sites should be held accountable for the spread of disinformation, or don't you think so?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Yes/Held accountable 74% 76% 79% 70% 73% 76% 77% 73% No 20 22 17 22 21 19 17 23 DK/NA 6 2 5 8 7 6 6 5 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Yes/Held accountable 70% 76% 74% 79% 69% 79% 74% 75% No 24 17 24 14 25 17 21 19 DK/NA 5 7 2 7 6 4 5 6 -
Question 31. How concerned are you about continued violence in the United States by extremist groups emboldened by the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not so concerned, or not concerned at all?
ADULTS................................................. WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Very concerned 48% 36% 70% 39% 41% 54% 51% 43% Somewhat concerned 27 27 23 32 26 29 26 27 Not so concerned 9 14 2 12 13 5 7 11 Not concerned at all 13 21 4 16 18 9 13 16 DK/NA 3 3 - 2 2 3 3 3 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht NonWht Very concerned 34% 42% 49% 70% 36% 55% 46% 52% Somewhat concerned 36 35 24 14 27 27 27 28 Not so concerned 10 5 13 6 13 5 9 8 Not concerned at all 19 16 10 6 21 9 15 11 DK/NA 1 2 3 3 2 4 3 1