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JANUARY 5, 2024

The “Big Lie” That Led to the January 6th Insurrection Is Still Believed by Most Republicans

Despite the convictions of many insurrectionists and former President Donald Trump’s own criminal indictment for his actions following the 2020 election, PRRI data shows that distinct partisan differences about the events leading up to January 6 remain. In September 2023, the vast majority of Americans who most trust far-right television news (92%) and two-thirds of those who most trust Fox News (65%) said the election was stolen, and among those who believe the 2020 election was stolen, agreement that political violence may be necessary to save the country increased from 37% in 2021 to 46% in 2023. Read more in a new Spotlight Analysis.

Understanding the Threat Christian Nationalism Poses to Democracy

Ahead of the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection, WYPR’s Sheilah Kast discusses the beliefs underpinning the Christian nationalist movement with PRRI President and Founder Robert P. Jones, Ph.D. The crosses and Christian flags on display alongside Confederate flags and white supremacist symbols at the attack on the Capitol illustrate a connection between white identity, Christianity, and political violence, which is confirmed in PRRI data. The 2023 PRRI/Brookings Christian Nationalism Survey finds adherents of Christian nationalism are nearly seven times as likely as Christian nationalism rejecters to support political violence (40% vs. 6%). 

Post-UMD Poll Finds a Quarter of Americans Believe FBI Instigated January 6

For the Washington Post, Tom Jackman, Scott Clement, Emily Guskin, and Spencer S. Hsu report that a new poll finds a substantial minority of Americans believe that the Federal Bureau of Investigation set in motion the Jan. 6 attack. This belief, which is more widespread among those who watch Fox News, is another instance of growing support for conspiracy theories as a result of disinformation on social and mainstream media. In 2021, PRRI found that 15% of Americans agreed with the QAnon theory that Satan-worshiping pedophiles control government, media, and financial worlds; in 2023, that percentage grew to 25%.

Americans Appear More Amenable to Autocracy in 2024

At TIME, Philip Elliott writes that supporters of former President Donald Trump are unswayed by his self-declared autocratic ambitions. In fact, polls show that Trump’s declaration and quest for vengeance against his political opponents only strengthen his appeal to Iowa Republican caucusgoers. PRRI’s 2023 American Values Survey finds that 4 in 10 Americans agree with the statement, “Because things have gotten so far off track in this country, we need a leader who is willing to break some rules if that’s what it takes to set things right.” 

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Read the new Spotlight Analysis "After Three Years and Many Indictments, the “Big Lie” That Led to the January 6th Insurrection Is Still Believed by Many Republicans" here.