Does rising support for political violence prove Americans didn't learn from Jan. 6?

A new poll shows nearly a quarter of Americans approve of violence 'in order to save our country'

Hand lighting a Molotov cocktail made from an American flag
At least 75% of Americans believe that our democracy is at risk
(Image credit: Illustrated / Getty Images)

Nearly three years removed from the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, it appears the United States is only becoming more fractured — and increasingly violent. A poll released Wednesday found that not only did a majority of Americans believe the nation's democracy is withering, but that a startling percentage of them also supported political violence ahead of the 2024 presidential election

The poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), questioned 2,525 adults with a 2.19% margin of error. It found that 75% of respondents "agree that the future of American democracy is at risk in the 2024 presidential election," and 77% "believe that the country is going in the wrong direction."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.