Almost half of Republicans support rioters who stormed the US Capitol building on Wednesday, a new poll claims.

Among Republicans who responded to the survey carried out by YouGov, some 45 per cent said they supported the rioters who scaled walls, overcame Capitol police, stormed Congress, smashed windows, and planted explosives.

As many as one-fifth (21 per cent) of all respondents to the survey were supportive of the Capitol rioters, according to YouGov, although only 2 per cent of Democrats agreed with their actions

The chaos, which delayed the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election win, forced lawmakers to barricade themselves inside congressional offices while Donald Trump’s supporters ran riot within the Capitol Building.