Many Americans Think Country Is Spiraling Out of Control After Trump Shooting: Poll

Former President Donald Trump after being shot in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

A majority of Americans are concerned about violence in the wake of an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll.

Some 87 percent of respondents said they’re at least somewhat worried about Americans resorting to violence rather than peacefully working together to solve disagreements.

Eighty-six percent of respondents said they’re concerned about acts of violence throwing America into chaos, 67 percent said they’re worried about violent acts being carried out against people over political beliefs, and 58 percent said they’re concerned about acts of violence being committed against people due to their religious beliefs.

The poll was carried out by Ipsos on July 16, three days after a man in Pennsylvania fired at former President Trump as he spoke at an outdoor rally.

The former president’s right ear was struck by a bullet. He has made several appearances since the rally and his campaign has said he is fine.

One person at the rally was fatally shot, while two others were rushed to a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds.

Ipsos pollsters surveyed 1,202 people, including 402 Democrats and 361 Republicans. The poll had an error of plus/minus 3.1 percentage points.

Democrats were slightly more likely to say they’re concerned about violence after former President Trump was shot at, compared to Republican respondents.

In a series of related questions, more than three-quarters of respondents said they agree that the country is spiraling out of control and that the former president is lucky to have survived.

A majority, driven by Democrats, said that President Joe Biden’s response to the shooting shows he has the temperament of a leader, while a near-majority, including 85 percent of Republicans, said former President Trump’s response shows he has a leader’s temperament.

President Biden after the shooting condemned what happened and called for unity. Former President Trump rose from the ground at the rally, made a fist, and appeared to tell his supporters to “fight.” The former president has also said he rewrote his upcoming speech at the Republican National Convention to focus on unity.

Before the shooting, most respondents to a different poll said they opposed violence.

A Marist Poll in April asked respondents if they think Americans may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track. Almost 80 percent of respondents said they disagreed.

A July 13 survey from the Chicago Project on Security and Threats found that 10 percent of respondents said it was justified to use force to prevent former President Trump from becoming president again, while 6.9 percent of respondents said it was acceptable to use force to prevent him from becoming president again.