More Americans prefer Biden's response to protests, poll suggests

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

last updated 6 September 2020

More Americans seem to prefer former Vice President Joe Biden's response to demonstrations against police brutality than the one exhibited by President Trump, a new CBS/YouGov poll shows.

Of those surveyed, 49 percent said they believe the Democratic presidential nominee is trying to "calm the situation down" compared to 39 percent who said the same of Trump. On the flip side, 47 percent of voters said Trump is "encouraging fighting," while only 30 percent think Biden is doing so.

Additionally, 60 percent of Americans, including 91 percent of those who say they'll vote for Biden, would rather see the protests end through the implementation of police reforms as opposed to a tougher law and order response, which only 25 percent of respondents preferred. Those voting for Trump were more likely to support the latter method, but not overwhelmingly — 54 percent said they want protesters punished, while 22 percent said they believed police reform was the better option, and 23 percent were undecided. And, despite the Trump campaign's insistence that Americans would be unsafe under a Biden administration, the former vice president actually held a 48-43 edge when it comes to who would make voters feel more secure.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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