Following the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue last week, the vast majority of Americans are concerned about political incivility causing further violence, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
Ninety-two percent of Democrats are concerned or very concerned the negative tone in Washington will result in violence, versus 70 percent of Republicans.
Nearly 80 percent in total believe the lack of civility could lead to more violence, but who is blamed for that incivility depends largely on the party affiliation of those surveyed on Oct. 28 and 29. Seventy-one percent of Democrats think President Donald Trump is to blame, while 86 percent of Republicans blame either Congress (44 percent) or the media (42 percent). Forty-five percent of independents also believe Trump is most to blame.
A previous HuffPost/YouGov survey found that half of Americans believed the president had no responsibility for the actions of an attempted mail bomber. Cesar Sayoc is accused of sending at least 14 bombs through the mail to CNN and high-profile people who are regularly targeted in Trump’s rhetoric. None of the bombs detonated.
One thing everyone seems to agree on, however, regardless of party affiliation, is that the overall tone in Washington has become more negative since Trump was elected in 2016. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats, 63 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of independents believe civility in Washington has gotten worse.