Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New Poll Finds Disturbingly High Percentage Thinks US Will 'Cease To Be A Democracy'

New Poll Finds Disturbingly High Percentage Thinks US Will 'Cease To Be A Democracy'
Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images

A new poll from Yahoo! News and YouGov reveals a disturbingly high percentage of Americans think the U.S. will "cease to be a democracy in the future."

And it isn't just Democrats who are feeling this particular brand of despair.


The poll showed that roughly equal proportions of Republicans and Democrats—53% to 55%, respectively—feel the end of democracy in the United States is imminent. Of course, who each of these groups blame for this pessimism is far more revealing.

But even when independents and the politically unaffiliated are factored in, the overall percentage stands at 49%, showing roughly half the country overall considers the United States something of a lost cause—a truly chilling statistic.

Of course, there were respondents among the 1,541 people polled who still feel optimistic about things—about 25% said they think American democracy will be just fine and another 25% said they were unsure.

But the poll gives new validity to the creeping dread many Americans have been feeling, especially since the far-right coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and the majority of Republicans' subsequent refusal to take it seriously or do anything about it.

Interestingly however—and even more chillingly—the poll reveals an America that is largely indifferent to the proceedings surrounding that insurrection.

The poll was conducted between June 10 and June 13—the days of the House select committee's first and second televised hearings about the events of January 6—and found just 24% of respondents watched the hearings.

That indifference to efforts to deal with the coup attempt would seem to underline the depth of despair Americans are feeling.

But as always with anything even remotely political nowadays, the story the poll tells changes dramatically when political party affiliations are taken into account.

Those on the right are shockingly disengaged from the January 6 hearings—just 9% of those who voted for former Republican President Donald Trump, 13% of Republicans and 22% of Fox News viewers have watched the hearings.

Those numbers skyrocket when left-wing affiliations are taken into account—47% of voters for Democratic President Joe Biden, 44% of Democrats and 52% of MSNBC viewers have been following the hearings.

Overall, a disturbingly low proportion of Americans even believe the committee's central claim—that the insurrection was part of a Trump-led conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. Despite the mountain of evidence, just 45% of Americans believe it.

So if we're so profoundly split about basic reality but relatively united in our despair about the future, what accounts for all the discord in this data?

Well by now you've probably guessed it—Republicans blame Democrats for the decline of Democracy, and Democrats blame Republicans. And in the case of Republicans, 43% even blame liberals for the insurrection, despite the total lack of evidence.

Which should make another of the poll's chilling findings unsurprising. Roughly half of all political affiliations—52% of Republicans, 50% of Independents and 46% of Democrats—think a second civil war is on the horizon.

If you're feeling sick to your stomach reading this, you're not alone.

People on Twitter were deeply disturbed by the poll's findings.






Some weren't surprised at all, however, and felt the poll was just putting numbers to things that have already been the unacknowledged status quo for quite some time.


Though some rejected the pessimism and took the poll as a rallying cry for the 2024 midterms.

Despite the poll's disturbing results, it did have one glimmer of hope.

The proportion of Republicans convinced the House committee would lie about its January 6 findings has declined by 12 points since the hearings began, suggesting there is at least some open-mindedness to reality.

More from News

Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Trump's Hypocrisy By Pointing Out How Melania Got Her Visa
Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Trump's Hypocrisy By Pointing Out How Melania Got Her Visa

Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett pointed out President Donald Trump's hypocrisy on immigration considering how First Lady Melania Trump's pathway to citizenship was possible because she received an "Einstein visa," which is usually reserved for an individual with "some sort of significant achievement."

Speaking during a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process,” Crockett noted that “the idea that Trump and my Republican colleagues want to restore integrity and security in the visa process is actually a joke," and harshly criticized the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and visa restrictions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Jennifer Griffin and Pete Hegseth
The Hill

Fox Host Comes To Reporter's Defense After Pete Hegseth Berates Her At Pentagon Briefing

Fox News' chief political analyst Brit Hume came to the defense of Fox national security reporter Jennifer Griffin after their former colleague, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, criticized Griffin as the reporter "who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says” in a Pentagon news conference.

Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, had criticized media outlets—including his former network—for what he described as unpatriotic reporting. Hegseth took particular aim at early intelligence assessments suggesting that President Donald Trump's bombing of Iran may not have significantly crippled Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Keep ReadingShow less

Teachers Share The Questions Students Asked In Class That Broke Their Hearts

Being a teacher is a calling.

It is not for the meek or weak of heart.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Emily Compagno
Fox News

Fox Host Slams Dem For Dropping An F-Bomb After Praising Trump For The Same Thing Just Minutes Earlier

Fox News host Emily Compagno was criticized after she praised Donald Trump's use of the "f-bomb" earlier this week before condemning Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett's use of the same word—on the same episode of her show, no less.

Trump made headlines this week after admonishing Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement he'd announced on Truth Social. Although he claimed the ceasefire had been "agreed upon," Iran fired at least six missile barrages at Israel after it was supposed to take effect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ken Jennings; Emily Croke
@Jeopardy/Instagram

Champ's Wild Final Jeopardy Connection

In a dramatic conclusion on last Monday’s Jeopardy!, a contestant revealed a surprising relationship to the final clue's answer. Hailing from Denver, Emily Croke made it to the final write-in portion of the game show with $12,200 in earnings.

In the category of “Collections,” host Ken Jennings read the clue:

Keep ReadingShow less