An overwhelming majority of surveyed registered voters say the U.S. has a serious issue with politically motivated violence, according to Quinnipiac University survey results released Thursday.
In the poll, conducted earlier this week, 91 percent of respondents say they think politically motivated violence is a serious problem in the United States today — with 54 percent calling it a “very serious” problem, and 37 percent calling it a “somewhat serious” problem.
Meanwhile, 6 percent of respondents see the phenomenon as a “not so serious” problem, and 2 percent see it as “not a problem at all.”
The poll shows virtually no difference in the way parties perceive the seriousness of the problem in America today.
Among surveyed Republicans, 93 percent see political violence as a serious problem, including 51 percent who see it as a “very serious” problem. Among surveyed Democrats, 91 percent see it as a serious problem, including 56 percent who see it as a “very serious” problem. And among independents, 92 percent see the problem as serious, including 56 percent who see it as “very serious.”
“There is broad agreement across party lines that a cloud of potential political violence looms over the country,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement.
The poll comes as threats and instances of political violence have become increasingly common in today’s political landscape — and have affected lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Most recently, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband were shot dead in their home earlier this month by a gunman who, authorities say, first shot another Democratic lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, in their home a few miles away. Officials say the suspect had a notebook in his possession with a so-called hit list of Democratic targets.
President Trump was also targeted in two assassination attempts, including one in which a bullet grazed and bloodied the side of his ear while on stage at a rally.
The survey was conducted June 22-24 and included 979 self-identified registered voters, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.