Poll: Fewer US Adults Say Trump Holds a Lot of Responsibility for Capitol Attack

A new poll conducted more than a year after the Capitol attack found that fewer Americans in both parties say former President Donald Trump bears a lot of responsibility for the events on that day compared to polling at the time. 

Pew Research Center compared the results of a survey taken in January 2022 to one conducted in January 2021 that asked U.S. voters whether Trump bears “a lot” of responsibility, “some” responsibility” or is not “at all” responsible “for the violence and destruction committed by some of his supporters when they broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”

The poll found:

• 43% in 2022 said Trump bears “a lot” of responsibility for the attack.
• 52% in 2021 said Trump bore “a lot” of responsibility for the attack.
• 24% in 2022 said Trump bears “some” responsibility for the attack.
• 23% in 2021 said Trump bore “some” responsibility for the attack.
• 32% in 2022 said Trump bears “none at all” responsibility for the attack.
• 24% in 2021 said Trump bore “none at all” responsibility for the attack.

When broken down by parties, Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents were far more likely to blame Trump for the violence, with the number of Democrats who say he holds “some” responsibility rising while the number who said he holds “a lot” of responsibility fell over the last year.

A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents now believe that Trump bears no responsibility for the attack on the Capitol, according to the poll.

• 70% of Democrats in 2022 said Trump bears “a lot” of responsibility for the attack.
• 81% of Democrats in 2021 said Trump bore “a lot” of responsibility for the attack.
• 17% of Democrats in 2022 said Trump bears “some” responsibility for the attack.
• 14% of Democrats in 2021 said Trump bore “some” responsibility for the attack.
• 10% of Republicans in 2022 said Trump bears “a lot” of responsibility for the attack.
• 18% of Republicans in 2021 said Trump bore “a lot” of responsibility for the attack.
• 57% of Republicans in 2022 said Trump bears “none at all” responsibility for the attack.
• 46% of Republicans in 2021 said Trump bore “none at all” responsibility for the attack.

Pew Research polled 5,128 adults across the U.S. from Jan. 10-17, 2022, with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

• Pew Poll: Most Catholics Back Pro-Choice Biden Taking Communion
• Pew Poll: Republicans Don't Trust National News Organizations