The best antidote to hot takes is hard data, and the latest Daily Kos/Civiqs poll is here with your cure. This survey of 1,359 adults was conducted online from Oct. 2-5 and reveals that 51% of Americans think Donald Trump supports white supremacist movements in the U.S. Additionally, most Americans (52%) say that replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court should be left to the winner of the presidential election and next year’s U.S. Senate.
As the coronavirus pandemic stretches on, Americans are increasingly pessimistic about resuming “normal” life. Nearly half (47%) believe we’ll have to wait six months or more until things return to their pre-COVID-19 status. Another 23% believe that our lives will never get back to normal.
Other noteworthy findings in this month’s poll include:
- Far more Americans think Joe Biden won the first presidential debate (41%) than think Trump won (28%).
- By 10 points (48%-38%), Americans think Trump’s presidency has been worse than they expected.
- Over one-third (34%) of Black Americans know someone who has died from coronavirus (vs. 16% overall).
- If a coronavirus vaccine becomes available, 33% of Americans currently do not plan to take it, and 33% are unsure.
- Despite all the recent news, Americans report almost no change in how they plan to vote in the presidential election. Only 4% say that they have recently reconsidered their choice, and 5% are unsure.
- Democrats are not being complacent about the outcome of the presidential election: Republicans are far more confident about a Trump win (85%) than Democrats are about a Biden win (75%).
Additional issues surveyed include reporting on Trump’s tax returns as well as Fox News and MSNBC viewership.
This poll’s findings demonstrate that, after Trump’s refusal to condemn white supremacists at the first presidential debate, a solid 51% of Americans can see that he supports these hate groups.
This survey provides strong evidence that frequent Fox News viewers are deeply disconnected from mainstream Americans. Despite the fact that most Americans understand that Trump supports white supremacist movements, just 3% of frequent Fox News viewers think he does. Fox News viewership also affects peoples’ faith in other news outlets; while 58% of Americans believe The New York Times’ recent reporting on Trump’s federal income taxes, just 9% of faithful Fox watchers believe it.
Civiqs is an award-winning survey research firm that conducts scientific public opinion polls on the Internet through its nationally representative online survey panel. Founded in 2013, Civiqs specializes in political and public policy polling. Results from Civiqs’ daily tracking polls can be found online at civiqs.com.