Post-ABC poll: Politically-motivated violence concerns most Americans - The Washington Post

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A wide and bipartisan bulk of Americans interest determination is accrued information of politically motivated unit successful the United States, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Nearly 9 successful 10 Americans (88 percent) are acrophobic that governmental divisions person intensified to the constituent that there’s an accrued hazard of politically motivated unit successful the United States, including implicit 6 successful 10 who are “very concerned.”

Of the 2 parties, much Americans blasted the Republican Party much for the hazard of violence, but the quality is not wide — 31 percent, vs. the 25 percent who blasted the Democratic Party more. Another 32 percent blasted some parties equally. Most Democrats and Republicans blasted the opposing party.

The canvass was conducted successful the week aft Paul Pelosi, hubby of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked astatine their location by an assailant with a hammer and subsequently hospitalized. The alleged attacker, David DePape, 42, shouted “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” aft helium broke into the Pelosis’ home, according to idiosyncratic briefed connected the assault. DePape’s online writings incorporate “deeply racist and antisemitic writings — arsenic good arsenic pro-Trump and anti-Democratic posts,” The Washington Post reported.

On Wednesday evening, President Biden pleaded with the nation to judge the cardinal tenets of ideology — to judge predetermination results and debar resorting to violence.

“We must, with 1 overwhelming unified voice, talk arsenic a state and accidental there’s nary place, nary spot for elector intimidation oregon governmental unit successful America, whether it’s directed astatine Democrats oregon Republicans,” Biden said. “No place, period. No place, ever.”

The FBI and different authorities agencies issued a memo past week that warned of an accrued likelihood of unit from home extremists successful the 90 days aft the election, according to a transcript of the papers obtained by The Post.

“Following the 2022 midterm election, perceptions of election-related fraud and dissatisfaction with electoral outcomes apt volition effect successful heightened threats of unit against a wide scope of targets — specified arsenic ideological opponents and predetermination workers,” the memo read.

The Post-ABC canvass finds 95 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of Republicans and 86 percent of independents are astatine slightest somewhat acrophobic that determination is an accrued hazard of politically motivated violence. Three-quarters of Democrats are precise concerned, compared with smaller majorities of independents and Republicans (61 percent and 56 percent).

Two-thirds of Democrats (66 percent) accidental the Republican Party is much to blasted for the hazard of governmental violence, portion 56 percent of Republicans blasted the Democratic Party. A plurality of independents, 39 percent, accidental some parties are to blame, portion 24 percent blasted Republicans much and 20 percent blasted Democrats.

Women are much apt to beryllium acrophobic astir the accrued hazard of politically motivated unit than men: 92 percent of women accidental they are acrophobic compared with 83 percent of men. Over two-thirds of women are precise concerned.

Women are besides much apt to blasted the Republican Party for the hazard of unit — 38 percent spot much blasted connected Republicans portion 18 percent blasted Democrats and 33 percent blasted some equally. Among men, 32 percent blasted Democrats, 24 percent blasted Republicans and 30 percent blasted some equally.

Politically motivated unit is not conscionable a menace to the affluent and powerful. Experts who way governmental unit accidental that threats to section predetermination workers, schoolhouse committee members and adjacent librarians person simmered for months.

“If idiosyncratic sets their sights connected these individuals and past they determine to mobilize, there’s virtually thing stopping them,” Michael Jensen, a elder researcher astatine the University of Maryland’s START consortium for coercion research, told Post reporters.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted Oct. 31-Nov. 2 among a random nationalist illustration of 1,005 adults, with 75 percent reached connected cellphones and 25 percent connected landlines. Overall results person a borderline of sampling mistake of 4 percent points.

Scott Clement contributed to this reporting.

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