Half of Republicans believe false accounts of deadly U.S. Capitol riot: Reuters/Ipsos poll

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters


By James Oliphant, Chris Kahn

7 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Since the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have pushed false and misleading accounts to downplay the event that left five dead and scores of others wounded. His supporters appear to have listened.

Three months after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to overturn his November election loss, about half of Republicans believe the siege was largely a non-violent protest or was the handiwork of left-wing activists “trying to make Trump look bad,” a new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found.

Six in 10 Republicans also believe the false claim put out by Trump that November’s presidential election “was stolen” from him due to widespread voter fraud, and the same proportion of Republicans think he should run again in 2024, the March 30-31 poll showed.

Since the Capitol attack, Trump, many of his allies within the Republican Party and right-wing media personalities have publicly painted a picture of the day’s events jarringly at odds with reality.




Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-disinformation/half-of-republicans-believe-false-accounts-of-deadly-u-s-capitol-riot-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN2BS0RZ

[Frustratedlady]

1. And we thought the Jim Jones people were suckers.

How did our people get so dumbed down? I can't see a way out of this mess...ever. There aren't enough deprogrammers to clean up what he has created. For some reason, I NEVER saw Trump having this much influence or power.

[KS Toronado]

4. FQX noise took gullible people and turned them into stupid idiots.

[mnhtnbb]

7. Don't forget the influence of Rush Limbaugh.

He brainwashed a lot of people for a very long time.

[KS Toronado]

14. You're correct, thank you.

[DENVERPOPS]

38. Yes

We have "truth in advertising" laws and regulations.

We have "false advertising" laws and regulations.

Fox news better pray every morning that there are never "False News Reporting" laws and regulations...........

(of course, that will be when pigs fly....)

WASF

[Lovie777]

5. Over 50 years of propaganda. .

Liberals/Progressives/Left are pure evil, baby killers, socialism, always taking your hard earned monies away from, i.e. raising taxes, demons, hate Christianity, eat kids, enslave children, et al.

A friends bought a van from a man who was selling all his processions, except his armory of guns, for little price. Ranted that with t-rump's lost in 2020, the world will totally be destroyed and he was ready. This is real and sad.

[CaptainTruth]

24. That shows how critically important effective messaging is.

That person received more than 50 years of effective messaging (propaganda) & look at how it completely shaped their view of the world, in a way that has little to no connection to reality.

The only way we can combat that is with our own effective counter-messaging.

[HUAJIAO]

12. It was well-underway by reagan and he propelled the dumbing down

of public education to the moon...

[Frustratedlady]

13. I agree. I believe we are also paying for Reagan closing down mental facilities.

Reagan had the ability to communicate in a way that locked people in. My mother was one of them. Not one to believe most cons, she was convinced he was all "down-home truth and kindness" when he was really a snake-oil salesman like the "former guy" we just got rid of. I don't know how many checks I threw away when cleaning out the house. I suspect my father stuck them in the pigeon holes of the desk until she forgot about them.

[Delmette2.0]

17. What's the word? Oh yes, compromised.

When the Russians cyber attacked the DNC in 2016, they also attacked the RNC. The RNC had more salacious information on the R's for Russia to use. They used that to control all of them, from Mitch on down.

[Frustratedlady]

19. I wonder if Putin arranged a set-up for further exploitation when all those congresscritters went to

Russia on July 4th, wasn't it? We could never figure out what the purpose of the trip was, unless it included money...The Repukes' God! They've been manipulated ever since, it seems.

[Delmette2.0]

21. Probably, yes

One of those critters was my Senator, Daines.

[Dustlawyer]

32. Agreed! All we can do is push Congress to pass legislation to require media to publish

the truth and not knowingly or willfully spread false claims or stories. There is a compelling governmental interest to stop the spread of propaganda.

If we can greatly reduce the propaganda spread by the RW we can burst their bubble of lies and begin to bring them back into reality.

[hedda_foil]

2. Republicans are 30% of the electorate. Half that 15% of voters.

[PSPS]

9. That's the real takeaway on stories like this

trump's "base" has been shrinking in size ever since his election and that decline has only accelerated since his loss. But the media loves a freak show so they garner a lot of coverage and, thus, appear far larger than they are. The MSM's business model has devolved into "outrage porn."

[bottomofthehill]

11. That is still 50 million people

People do crazy shit when part of a group. Look at 1/6

[whopis01]

30. Unfortunately they wield more power than that 15% number would lead you to believe.

The problem is that they are a significant enough number that many Republican politicians have no chance at winning without their support. So even Republicans who aren't a part of that group have to pander and cater to that group.

Right now many Republicans benefit more by catering to the crazies than taking a stand against the crazies.

[hedda_foil]

36. You're 100% correct!

[turbinetree]

3. Then if the election was stolen then they should resign, they support a fucking traitor

that is the bottom line, they have no business being in this republic, since they believe in autocratic authoritarian rule, then they should move to China, and see what they do to a state, let's say Hong Kong.........fuck them

[gab13by13]

6. Who gives a shit what they think.

[JohnSJ]

8. Of course they do. It is the party of QAnon.

[bottomofthehill]

10. The simple truth

They were violent, they attacked people, people died, people were injured and have not returned to work, they were Trump supporters, people were terrified, they had the intent to do worse than they did, the actions of the USCP and Metropolitan Police kept that from happening, people were subjected to chemical agents including pepper spray, tear gas, CS, insecticides (wasp spray)WD 40 other spray bottles that would travel a distance.

They used common household goods, sporting equipment, healthcare equipment, plumbing supplies, construction supplies (from the inaugural platform no less) flag poles, police equipment (either their own if off duty or retired cops).

They came dressed for battle, Kevlar helmets, hard hats, baseball helmets, construction headgear, goggles, gas masks, tactical gear, bullet proof vests, secure communications, medical gear, you name it they had it. They built a gallows for Christ sake.

They came to lay siege, this was not a peaceful protest, it was an armed mob that engaged in insurrection against the United States. They wanted to hang the Vice President and assassinate the Speaker of the House, the number 2 and 3 behind in the President. These were people out for blood not people out for justice, they were bullies once again trying to get their way through might. They were fakers and frauds using God, Patriotism, Oaths and Honor to cover their racism, fear of Democracy and wish for a return to the “old days”.

Fuck them all, they belong in jail. Every single one that can be identified belongs in jail. A cop was murdered, two others took their own lives as a result of what happened on 1/6, a woman was trampled by a crowd, a police officer had to use his weapon to defend Members of Congress from those that would do them harm, Fuck them all, and Fuck the then President of the United Stated for sending them off to attack.

I was there, it was a violent assault on the Capitol, it happened and many of our fellow country men and women are willing to believe that they were just a happy go lucky crowd until the cops provoked the peaceful crowd.

I am worried about where we end up as a country if people are so easily gaslit and are willing to believe the liars instead of what they see with their own eyes.

[LittleGirl]

20. That's an amazing post, BOTH.

That needs to be a stand-alone OP. Please! I want to KnR it!
Spot on!

[bottomofthehill]

28. Helps to unload

I am still pissed

[LittleGirl]

33. I am too and I wasn't there!

I watched what I could from Europe seething in anger.
I hope you’re okay and don’t have PTSD.

[Jay25]

23. Very well said and on point.

[Fla Dem]

15. I do not understand how half of 74,216,154 voting republicans are this crazy or delusional.

Totally blows my mind.

[ThatJustHappened]

16. No big surprise

since 100% of republicans believe in false accounts of an imaginary sky daddy

and so all of the following false accounts illogically follow from that:


-- rennaissance denial
-- geocentrism denial
-- printing press denial
-- literacy denial
-- book learnin' denial
-- knowledge denial
-- science denial
-- emancipation denial
-- new deal denial
-- equal rights denial
-- climate change denial
-- covid denial
-- mask denial
-- vaccine denial
-- BLM denial
-- racism denial
-- gun control denial
-- LGBTQ denial


when you can't do reason and critical thinking
(or you choose to turn it on and off selectively)
this sh*t happens

[keithbvadu2]

18. Trump's 'hugging and kissing' cops consists of 'attacking and killing' cops.

Trump's 'hugging and kissing' cops consists of 'attacking and killing' cops.

[Jon King]

22. The utter tyranny of departed Rush and right wing media...

They deliberately harm America for money. Its just that simple. Every one of them know the truth, every one of them are traitors.

All the ways for smart people to make some money and they all choose to betray their own country and spread harmful lies.

[speak easy]

25. 6/10? Here's my message to the Democratic Party

Ignore them. Don't try to talk to them. Don't try to convince them. Stir them up then let them stew.

[KPN]

26. Symptom of a party on its deathbed.

[hay rick]

27. My take on polls about what Republicans think or believe.

I think many Republicans don't answer poll questions honestly. They treat polls as partisan gotcha questions. They know what the "correct" answer is for their team and respond accordingly. When the official lies change or are abandoned, their responses will change.

[LudwigPastorius]

29. We've known for some time that they don't acknowledge the same reality in which the rest of the...

world lives.

These people cannot be reasoned with on any level. Attempts to sway them toward accepting facts, much less bipartisan action to benefit the country, are a waste of time.

[ThoughtCriminal]

31. If they weren't delusional

They wouldn't be Republicans.

[BobTheSubgenius]

34. "Tell me what I want to hear."

THAT should be the next GOP bumper sticker slogan.

[Kid Berwyn]

35. So, it would have been a good idea for live testimony at Impeachment 2.

Figures.

[bucolic_frolic]

37. Promulgating verifiable lies as a hoax should be criminal

Just like it is for healthcare hoax remedies, incitement, securities fraud, product safety, copyright violations. I'm tired of hearing FREE SPEECH!!!!! We regulate dangerous and damaging lies in many areas of life. This Republican privilege of hoaxes is no exception.

[IronLionZion]

39. Antifa did it while MAGA patriots bravely stood by and watched. nt

[R Merm]

40. My next door neighbor called it an "abortion of an election"

because, all of the vote by mail ballots were from dead people. Was so over him I told him that the dead people had more going for them then any one who voted for tRump and walked away. Haven't talked to him or his wife since. Btw his wife believes that a high percentage of Covid infections are due to dirty masks.

[NQAS]

41. Another poll I'd like to see

The percentage of Republican representatives and senators who believe false accounts of the domestic terror attack/insurrection. Wanna bet it's also half.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

42. Half of the Republicans are as dumb as the other half