Ever-Trump: Half of All Republicans Still Believe Lie That Capitol Insurrection Was Non-Violent
Half of Republicans believe the lie that the January 6th attack on the Capitol was “mostly peaceful” and “largely a non-violent protest,” according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday.
Delusional Republican respondents also told pollsters that left-wing activists were to blame for the insurrection and were “trying to make Trump look bad.” Eighty percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Independents, however, rightly believe that Trump and his mob were responsible for the attack that left five dead and dozens injured.
But the Republican delusion doesn’t end with the Capitol attack. Sixty percent of Republicans still buy into the lie that the presidential election was fraudulent and “was stolen” from Trump.
Elected Republicans are at least partly responsible for their constituents’ lack of a grip on reality. As Reuters points out, not only have top GOP leaders avoided language condemning Trump’s mob, 12 Republicans in Congress voted against a resolution to honor Capitol Police officers who put their lives on the line that infamous day.
“Republicans have their own version of reality,” John Geer, an expert on public opinion at Vanderbilt University, told Reuters. “It is a huge problem. Democracy requires accountability and accountability requires evidence.”
Unsurprisingly, Trump is still lying about what happened that day. During an interview on Fox late last month, the former president said the attack on the Capitol posed “zero threat” and claimed his mob was “hugging and kissing the police and the guards.” Of course, Trump conveniently neglected to mention that two of his supporters present at the Capitol attack have been arrested and charged with using bear spray to assault Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the riot. Hugs and kisses indeed.
Source: Read Full Article