A fifth of Americans said they have a lot of confidence in the Secret Service to protect presidential candidates from harm, according to a new poll conducted after the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally.
According to a YouGov snap poll released on Sunday, 20% of American adults said they were “very confident” in the Secret Service’s ability to protect White House candidates from harm. Forty-five percent said they were “somewhat confident,” while 17 percent said they were “not very confident.”
About 7 percent said they were “not at all confident” and 11 percent said they were unsure, according to the survey.
The poll was conducted shortly after an assassination attempt on Trump took place on Saturday at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring the former president and killing one attendee. The former president said a bullet pierced his ear.
The U.S. Secret Service said the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed shortly after shots were fired.
The shooting sent shockwaves across the country and the world, prompting widespread condemnation of political violence.
YouGov also found that 67 percent of U.S. adults said the current political environment makes politically motivated violence more likely, while just 8 percent said it makes it less likely.
Ten percent said the current political climate makes politically motivated violence the same as usual, and 14 percent said they were unsure.YouGov reported.
Exactly half – 50 percent – of U.S. adults said political violence is a “very big problem,” while 32 percent said it is “somewhat” a problem. About 8% said it’s not a big problem, while about 2% said it’s not a problem, the researchers found. Eight percent said they weren’t sure.
Trump on Sunday called for Americans to unite, adding that “only God prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
“At this time, it is more important than ever that we stand together and show our true character as Americans by remaining strong and determined and not allowing evil to win,” Trump said.wrote in a postin Social Truth. “I truly love our country and I love all of you, and I look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week in Wisconsin.”
YouGov interviewed 4,339 American adults in the July 14 survey. The margin of error was not immediately available and The Hill reached out to the researchers for more information.
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