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Partisan Desires Override Support for Constitution

October 18, 2023 · 9:05 am ET · Leave a Comment

A new national study by the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia reveals a stunning number of Americans endorsing policies that could challenge the U.S. Constitution.

The survey finds President Biden leads Donald Trump in a head-to-head match up, 52% to 48%.

But those who intended to support one candidate expressed a great deal of suspicion toward supporters of the other side:

  • A staggering majority of both Biden (70%) and Trump (68%) voters believed electing officials from the opposite party would result in lasting harm to the United States.
  • Roughly half viewed those who supported the other party as threats to the American way of life.
  • About 40% of both groups at least somewhat believed that the other side had become so extreme that it is acceptable to use violence to prevent them from achieving their goals.

Also interesting: “Roughly two in five (41%) of respondents leaning towards Donald Trump in 2024 at least somewhat agreed with the idea of red states seceding from the Union to form their own separate country, while 30% of Biden supporters expressed a similar sentiment, but for blue states. Disturbingly, nearly one-third (31%) of Trump supporters and about a quarter (24%) of Biden supporters at least somewhat agree that democracy is no longer a viable system and that the country should explore alternative forms of government to ensure stability and progress.”

2024 Campaign, Trends

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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