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mahatmakanejeeves

(69,623 posts)
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 12:20 PM Jan 2024

A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds

Source: Washington Post

NATIONAL SECURITY

A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds

More than 3 in 10 Republicans have adopted the falsehood that the FBI conspired to cause the Capitol riot

By Tom Jackman, Scott Clement, Emily Guskin and Spencer S. Hsu
January 4, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EST



Trump supporters march down Constitution Avenue before a mob breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

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Twenty-five percent of Americans say it is “probably” or “definitely” true that the FBI instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, a false concept promoted by right-wing media and repeatedly denied by federal law enforcement, according to a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.

The Post-UMD poll finds a smaller 11 percent of the public overall thinks there is “solid evidence” that FBI operatives organized and encouraged the attack, while 13 percent say this is their “suspicion only.” ... Among Republicans, 34 percent say the FBI organized and encouraged the insurrection, compared with 30 percent of independents and 13 percent of Democrats.

The results confirm that misinformation about Jan. 6 is widespread as the United States heads into a presidential election year, during a campaign in which the former president and leading 2024 Republican candidate Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed support for those who participated in the insurrection. Despite a detailed congressional investigation and more than 725 completed federal prosecutions of Jan. 6 participants that did not yield evidence of FBI involvement, a substantial minority of Americans still embrace conspiracy theories not unlike the ones that drove many rioters to storm the Capitol three years ago.

{snip}

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About this story

The Post and the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement conducted this poll Dec. 14-18 among a random national sample of 1,024 U.S. adults through NORC at the University of Chicago’s AmeriSpeak Panel. It has an error margin of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points for the full sample.

Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.

By Tom Jackman, Scott Clement, Emily Guskin and Spencer Hsu

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/04/fbi-conspiracy-jan-6-attack-misinformation/

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2024 OP
25% of people will believe anything. TwilightZone Jan 2024 #1
See astrology.. they think the planet Mars controls their life Botany Jan 2024 #4
They are welcome to move to Mars and live there IronLionZion Jan 2024 #7
Not just conservatives who believe in astrology. Elessar Zappa Jan 2024 #21
Random national sample. grumpyduck Jan 2024 #2
Correct insofar as Wray conspired to help his Party by sitting on his ass Ponietz Jan 2024 #3
The dumbest 1/4 of our population IronLionZion Jan 2024 #5
That percentage would eat paint Marthe48 Jan 2024 #6
and drink bleach. Doornails. Wonder Why Jan 2024 #11
At least the WP reporting on this poll mentioned misinformation may be at the heart of the wiggs Jan 2024 #8
A quarter... of course ck4829 Jan 2024 #9
Propaganda and misinformation work nowforever Jan 2024 #10
Only 34% of republicans R Merm Jan 2024 #12
Who was in charge. otchmoson Jan 2024 #13
Idiots can't think it through. GreenWave Jan 2024 #14
Is this news? BaronChocula Jan 2024 #15
Yes. mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2024 #17
Rhetorical question BaronChocula Jan 2024 #19
Well, sort of "no," but those numbers are mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2024 #20
Here's a sort of funny story BaronChocula Jan 2024 #22
UMD-Post Poll: Republicans Increasingly Loyal to Trump, Sympathetic to Capitol Rioters mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2024 #16
And? So? ExWhoDoesntCare Jan 2024 #18
The beginning of the collapse of our education system nwduke Jan 2024 #23

Botany

(77,244 posts)
4. See astrology.. they think the planet Mars controls their life
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 12:39 PM
Jan 2024

Btw that is the same % of hard core racist who support Trump too,

IronLionZion

(51,201 posts)
7. They are welcome to move to Mars and live there
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 12:49 PM
Jan 2024

Elon Musk can help them out with his rockets

Elessar Zappa

(16,385 posts)
21. Not just conservatives who believe in astrology.
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 06:08 PM
Jan 2024

I’m not even sure they’re the majority. We have an astrology group here on DU, for instance. I personally think it’s bullshit but I don’t think it predicts political proclivities.

IronLionZion

(51,201 posts)
5. The dumbest 1/4 of our population
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 12:48 PM
Jan 2024

the same folks who eat horse paste to own the libs and believe illegal immigrants are stealing so many jobs that nobody wants to work anymore.

wiggs

(8,791 posts)
8. At least the WP reporting on this poll mentioned misinformation may be at the heart of the
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 01:11 PM
Jan 2024

perception. I bet most reporting will just leave it as a legit opinion held by a substantial percentage of the US.

Same thing re the Biden economy...Fox and 90% of talk radio constantly misinform and deceive viewers/listeners but poll reporting ignores that and repeats over and over that the public blames Biden for bad feelings about the econmy.

ck4829

(37,671 posts)
9. A quarter... of course
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 01:17 PM
Jan 2024

The “Crumbleys were model parents who just tried their best” demographic

 

nowforever

(586 posts)
10. Propaganda and misinformation work
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 02:25 PM
Jan 2024

The Orange Imbecile is a very effective recruiter of the dumb. People who are generally resentful and selfish seem to be drawn to someone like Trump who exemplifies these traits. It's not gullibility, it's willful ignorance coupled with profound stupidity that makes these souls so susceptible to brainwashing. I just pray the Trump lemmings are going to follow him straight over the cliff, I don't think they can ever be rehabilitated.

otchmoson

(328 posts)
13. Who was in charge.
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 02:40 PM
Jan 2024

Ask all those true believers this single question: Who was in charge of the FBI on January 6?

GreenWave

(12,625 posts)
14. Idiots can't think it through.
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 02:41 PM
Jan 2024

Why did they all disperse when IQ 45 told them to if they were FBI?
Why did Trump give them a go get em speech and later profess his love for them?

BaronChocula

(4,516 posts)
15. Is this news?
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 03:14 PM
Jan 2024

They also believe Democrats are drinking the blood of babies. They think trump was sent by God to save America. They think trump is president now. They think Italian satellites changed votes in the 2020 election (or some shit). They're making crank calls to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. They believe there are tracking chips in vaccines. And on and on.

These poor wretched souls are a permanent reality for at least a few more election cycles/COVID seasons. It's less important to focus on them since they will always vote maga/gopper. Better to focus on "swing" voters who sometimes still vote for the maga/gopper candidates who cater to those poor wretched souls. Those "swing" voters think that they are executing some sort of electoral equilibrium when in fact they're just helping out the maga/gopper misinformation machine. The challenge is how to get those voters to stop swinging back to the maga mire.

BaronChocula

(4,516 posts)
19. Rhetorical question
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 04:53 PM
Jan 2024

It's clearly a current headline. I'll rephrase.

Is this a surprise?
And good afternoon to you.

mahatmakanejeeves

(69,623 posts)
20. Well, sort of "no," but those numbers are
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 05:56 PM
Jan 2024

disturbingly high. I’m surprised at how many people believe that.

BaronChocula

(4,516 posts)
22. Here's a sort of funny story
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 06:16 PM
Jan 2024

about one of those people who I used to work with. I actually appreciated working with him when certain projects came around. He could also be genuinely empathetic. Almost everyone there was great to work with, but when I returned back to work from my father's passing, he was the only one besides my immediate supervisor who personally expressed any sympathy. BUT... he was a total maga type.

He was once having a discussion with someone in another department, but still only feet away from me spreading misinformation about gun laws. I don't think the guy he was talking to was really into the conversation, but Charlie (as I'll call him) simply knew the other guy was a sportsman and gun owner. Charlie caps off one point he made to Simon (as I'll call him) by saying "wait until the crazies find out about this liberal gun registry plan." Simon said "yeah, like the guys who rioted at the Capitol." Then Charlie says verbatim... "That was Antifa and BLM." I actually gave an audible chortle which was deserved.

As it turns out, Charlie was let go due to his refusal to comply with the company's reasonable COVID vaccination policy. No shocker there. It wasn't until after that point that people who had worked there longer than me filled me in with his political "evolution" and the weirdness that ensued.

mahatmakanejeeves

(69,623 posts)
16. UMD-Post Poll: Republicans Increasingly Loyal to Trump, Sympathetic to Capitol Rioters
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 03:38 PM
Jan 2024
RESEARCH

UMD-Post Poll: Republicans Increasingly Loyal to Trump, Sympathetic to Capitol Rioters

Survey Also Finds Fewer in GOP Believe Biden Was Legitimately Elected

By Laura Ours Jan 03, 2024

Nearly three years after supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, Republicans are more sympathetic to the rioters and less likely to hold him responsible for the violence, according to a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll that tracked several hot-button issues leading into the 2024 presidential primaries. ... Compared to the results of a December 2021 Post-UMD survey, Republicans were less likely to view President Joe Biden’s election as legitimate than in 2021, with only 31% today acknowledging Biden’s claim to office, compared to 39% previously. Support for Biden’s legitimacy also dropped from 69% to 62% among U.S. adults overall, from 72% to 66% among independents and even fell by 3 percentage points among Democrats to 91% (although the difference falls within the poll’s margin of error).

The current poll, fielded Dec. 14-18 among a random national sample of 1,024 adults, also finds 56% of Americans believe Trump is “probably” or “definitely” guilty of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results through false claims of voter fraud; 40% who say he is definitely guilty. ... Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats believe Trump is guilty, while nearly 7 in 10 Republicans think he is innocent. Among independents, nearly twice as many think Trump is guilty as those who say he is innocent. ... Meanwhile, 55% of Republicans think legal punishments for the people who broke into the Capitol have been “fair” or “not harsh enough”; that is down slightly from 64% in 2021. Seven in 10 independents and about 9 in 10 Democrats say punishments have been fair or insufficient. And slightly fewer Republicans now say Jan. 6 protesters were “mostly violent” than they did in 2021.

Demographic factors loomed large in the survey results, researchers said. ... “Differences between the youngest and oldest age groups stood out in this survey,” said government and politics Professor Michael J. Hanmer, director of UMD’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, who helped to design the poll. “For example, 25% of 18- to 29-year-olds said Trump bears a great deal of responsibility for the January 6 attack on the Capitol, compared to 50% of those aged 65 and older.”

Older Americans are also slightly more likely than younger ones to say Biden was legitimately elected, as are Americans with college degrees. ... Interestingly, Hanmer said, there are wide differences by age even among Democrats, with 50% of 18- to 39-year-old Democratic leaners saying Trump bears a great deal of responsibility for the attack, compared to 86% for Democratic leaners aged 50 or older.
 

ExWhoDoesntCare

(4,741 posts)
18. And? So?
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 04:25 PM
Jan 2024

Up to 30% of Americans are routinely bloody plonkers. In any given poll, it's typical that that many people will show support for the most insane things imaginable. Statisticians call it the crazification factor.

Around 25% of moron America still supported Nixon and GDub at the end of their terms.

This is not news, and certainly not the latest breaking kind. It's situation bloody normal.

nwduke

(506 posts)
23. The beginning of the collapse of our education system
Thu Jan 4, 2024, 07:45 PM
Jan 2024

Resulting in 1/4 of the population having the IQ of a turnip!

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