A new poll reveals that approximately one-third of American adults still believe that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected in 2020.
The survey was conducted by The Washington Post and the University of Maryland and examines the changing views of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as the third anniversary approaches.
The poll data shows that as of last month, 62 percent of U.S. adults believe Biden was legitimately elected, representing a decline of seven percentage points from the 2021 poll. The Republican Party saw the greatest decline in support for Biden’s election. In 2023, only 31 percent of Republicans believed that the 2020 election results were legitimate, down from 39 percent two years ago.
Among Democrats, however, support for Biden’s election remained high, with 91 percent believing he was rightfully elected, only a slight dip from 94 percent two years ago. Similarly, 66 percent of independents say the incumbent was legitimately elected, down from 72 percent in December 2021.
The third anniversary of the Capitol attack is approaching, and the poll results suggest that opinions on the election and the attack are still deeply divided. The insurrectionist mob stormed into the Capitol building, vandalizing and looting offices, and delaying the certification of the election results by several hours.
The poll was conducted just weeks after the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol, which saw the trial of dozens of Trump supporters who had engaged in violence during the insurrection. As a result, the survey revealed that opinions regarding the events surrounding the attack may still be raw and sensitive for a lot of Americans.
Amidst the ongoing legal battles and congressional proceedings, the poll data demonstrates that many Americans still have doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
