- Americans overwhelmingly support the House committee investigation into the January 6th insurrection.
- More than three in five are hearing “a lot” or “some” about the public hearings on January 6th.
- Top descriptors of Republicans in Congress who support the events of January 6th are “power hungry” and “appealing to their right-wing,extremist base to win elections.”
- A range of arguments in defense of the investigation are effective with a majority of Americans when pit against conservative criticisms that the House committee investigating January 6th is too focused on the past.
Majorities Support the House Investigation into January 6th and Oppose the Actions of Trump Supporters That Day
Majorities of every partisan and racial group oppose the actions of the Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol on January 6th.
• Outside of Republicans, majorities across party, race, and ethnicity support the House investigation into January 6th.
Three in Five Are Hearing About the Public Hearings from the House Investigation
Three in five Americans say they have heard “a lot” or “some” about the public hearings from the House committee investigating January 6th (63%), with numbers higher among Democrats (70%) than independents (52%) or Republicans (59%).
“MAGA Republicans” Continue to Be Viewed Unfavorably
Nearly four in five Americans (79%) have either a favorable or unfavorable opinion about “MAGA Republicans,” while only 21% don’t know enough to have an opinion.
• Majorities of Fox News, OANN, and Newsmax viewers rate MAGA Republicans favorably, while CNN and MSNBC viewers do not.
Majorities Believe the January 6th Investigation Is Important and That Congress Can Focus on It and Other Issues
Since April, there has been a 5-point increase in the share who say it is important to uncover the truth of what happened on January 6th, including a 5-point increase among independents (from net +14 to net +19).
Americans Characterize January 6th Apologists As “Power Hungry” and “Appealing to Their Right-Wing, Extremist Base”
Black Americans (62%) and Democrats (64%) are the most likely to describe January 6th Republicans as “power hungry” and willing to “do anything to get and hold onto power.”
Top Descriptors of January 6th-Sympathizing Republicans are “Dangerous”, “Corrupt,” “Yes-Men to Trump”
Independents are most likely to say Republicans who support the events of January 6th are “corrupt” (34%), while Republicans say they are “reckless” (23%).
A Range of Arguments Work Against Republican Criticisms of Democrats for Wanting to Investigate January 6th
Rebuttals that highlight the consequences for attempts to overturn elections and holding those who threatened members of Congress and police accountable are all persuasive arguments.
A Majority Support the DOJ Filing Criminal Charges Against Donald Trump for His Involvement with January 6th
Republicans remain the only partisan or racial group in which a majority (71%) express opposition to the Department of Justice filing criminal charges against the former president, while a plurality of independents (47%) support it.
About The Study
June 13, 2022. 106 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 80 additional interviews were
conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 102 additional interviews were conducted among
African American voters. 101 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters.