Skip to Content

Majority Say January 6th Was An Attack On Democracy, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; About A Quarter Of U.S. Still Not Planning To Get Vaccinated

With lawmakers divided over whether to form an independent 9/11 style commission to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, a majority of Americans (55 percent) say they view the events of January 6th as an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten, while 39 percent say too much is being made of the storming of the U.S. Capitol and it is time to move on, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea- ack) University national poll of adults released today. There are stark political divides on this question.

Democrats say 84 - 12 percent and independents say 54 - 42 percent that the January 6th storming of the Capitol should never be forgotten, while Republicans say 74 - 18 percent that too much is being made of it and that it is time to move on.

Asked whether each political party is acting in the best interests of democracy, Americans say ...

  • Republican Party: 59 percent no, 34 percent yes;
  • Democratic Party: 49 percent no, 44 percent yes.
"Does 1/6 warrant the same in-depth study as 9/11? It's been an open question with an independent investigation being weighed, and more than half of Americans consider the violence at the Capitol an attack on the very foundation of the country," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

COVID-19 VACCINES

As U.S. health officials and states make a big push to get COVID-19 vaccines into people's arms, slightly less than 1 in 4 Americans (23 percent) say they do not plan to get vaccinated, and 72 percent say they plan to or have already been vaccinated. That compares to an April survey which found 27 percent of respondents said they did not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and 68 percent said they planned to or had already been vaccinated.

In today's poll, Republicans represent the largest listed group saying they do not plan to get vaccinated at 37 percent. Last month, that number was 45 percent.

Among respondents who have children under 16 years of age, which is a much smaller group compared to the number of total respondents, 42 percent say they are planning on having their children receive a COVID-19 vaccine once they are eligible, 44 percent say they do not plan on having their children receive the vaccine, 3 percent say their children under 16 years of age have already been vaccinated, and 12 percent did not offer an opinion.

"The frenzied rush to roll up the sleeve slams into a parental wall as more than 4 in 10 parents signal their pre-sixteen kids will not be getting the vaccine jab," added Malloy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gets a slightly positive grade on its handling of mask guidelines as 49 percent of Americans approve of the way the CDC is handling the guidelines and 44 percent disapprove.

Americans say 73 - 24 percent that they plan to spend Memorial Day weekend much like the way they did before the coronavirus pandemic.

Most also say 79 - 20 percent that they do not plan to travel this Memorial Day weekend. And a majority (60 - 38 percent) say they are not willing to travel overseas at this time.

ABORTION & THE SUPREME COURT

Views on abortion remain fairly consistent in the nearly two decades Quinnipiac University has polled on this issue.

Today, 25 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal in all cases, 32 percent say it should be legal in most cases, 23 percent say it should be illegal in most cases, and 14 percent say it should be illegal in all cases.

In June 2003, 21 percent of adults said abortion should be legal in all cases, 33 percent said it should be legal in most cases, 24 percent said illegal in most cases and 17 percent said illegal in all cases.

Americans agree 63 - 28 percent with the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to an abortion.

In 2003, Americans agreed with the decision 62 - 35 percent.

A majority of Americans, 61 - 28 percent, say they do not think it's likely that the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to choose an abortion will be overturned within the next few years.

UFOs & SPACE TRAVEL

Next month, intelligence agencies are expected to deliver a report to Congress about unidentified aerial phenomena, commonly known as UFOs. This report comes after the U.S. acknowledged there have been unexplained sightings by military aircraft. Asked what they think these sightings are, 42 percent of Americans say they think they are man-made aircraft, 35 percent say they think they are aircraft from another world, and 22 percent did not offer an opinion.

On a different topic, the prospect of space tourism for private citizens is becoming a reality through private companies. Americans were asked if they would want to take a trip into space if they were given the opportunity. A majority (65 - 34 percent) say they would not want to travel to space. By similar numbers, a majority say (66 - 32 percent) that if the Moon and Mars were colonized in their lifetime, they would not want to travel there.

"Go figure... the two political parties, so sharply divided on virtually everything on earth, find common ground in the mysteries of space. Thirty-six percent of Republicans and Democrats believe something or someone not of this earth has been visiting, and about 3 in 10 are ready to strap in and blast off into space," added Malloy.

1,316 U.S. adults nationwide were surveyed from May 18th - 24th with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 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