Nearly two-thirds of likely voters believe there will be more assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump between now and Election Day, a poll released Tuesday by Rasmussen Reports found.
The national survey of 1,114 likely voters taken from Sept. 18-19 found that 65% said it is likely there will be more assassination attempts against Trump before Nov. 5, with 32% saying it's very likely to happen. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
The poll was taken just days after the Secret Service on Sept. 15 foiled the second assassination attempt against Trump in two months when Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was spotted pointing a rifle through a tree line a few hundred yards away from where Trump was golfing in Palm Beach, Florida. Routh was arrested on federal gun charges and could be facing more charges.
On July 13, Trump was struck in the right ear by a bullet fired from Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks killed a spectator and seriously injured two others before a Secret Service sniper gunned him down.
When asked whether it was more likely that the would-be assassins were motivated by rhetoric from Trump's enemies or were suffering from mental illness, 49% cited the rhetoric of Trump's enemies, 36% cited mental illness, and 15% were not sure.
Among self-identified conservatives, 63% blamed the rhetoric of Trump's enemies for the assassination attempts, with 54% of liberals believing the would-be assassins were suffering from mental illness. Among moderate voters, 44% blamed the rhetoric of Trump's enemies, 38% blamed mental illness, and 18% were not sure.
Among voters who considered it very likely there will be another assassination attempt against Trump before Election Day, 63% believed the people trying to assassinate Trump were motivated by the rhetoric of his enemies.
Majorities of every political category – 75% of Republicans, 56% of Democrats, and 64% of voters unaffiliated with either major party – believe it's at least somewhat likely there will be another assassination attempt against Trump before Nov. 5.
A large majority of white (64%), Black (62%), Hispanic (67%), and other minority voters (83%) consider it at least somewhat likely there will be another assassination attempt against Trump before Election Day. Voters under 40 are more likely than their elders to expect another assassination attempt against Trump.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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