Jan. 6 Survey Reveals Republicans’ Stronger Allegiance to Trump and Capitol Rioters

In the year 2021, a majority of Americans believed that Donald Trump bore a significant amount of responsibility for the attack on the Capitol. However, recent data shows that this sentiment has shifted. Currently, only 53 percent of Americans assign a great or good amount of culpability to Trump.

Interestingly, it is the Republicans who are driving this change in perspective. While in 2021, 27 percent of Republicans held Trump responsible, that number has dropped significantly to 14 percent. This shift highlights the increased defensiveness that Republicans feel towards Trump.

Gloria Bowden, an independent voter who leans Republican, exemplifies the change in perception. Initially, she was upset that Trump did not explicitly tell the protestors to stop. However, after witnessing footage of law enforcement using force against the rioters, she now believes that the attack was instigated by law enforcement.

Although Bowden still wishes that Trump had intervened earlier, she questions whether it would have made a difference. She perceives the attack as a planned event. Bowden also criticizes the House hearings for their one-sided nature and sympathizes with Trump’s reluctance to get involved. After enduring years of criticism, she believes that Trump eventually reached a point where he allowed events to unfold.