Jan. 6 hearings having impact (but maybe not how you think)
by: Katie Smith, Nexstar Media Wire
Posted: Jun 23, 2022 / 08:30 AM CDT
Updated: Jun 23, 2022 / 08:30 AM CDT
(NewsNation) — Most Americans approve of the Jan. 6 hearings and believe President Donald Trump was at least somewhat to blame for the U.S. Capitol attack. But a smaller number have changed their opinions due to the recent Congressional hearings, according to the NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll released Thursday.
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will continue Thursday with its series of hearings linked to the 2021 insurrection.
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On one hand, it's likely most Americans will keep track of the day's hearings. About 61% of Americans have followed the hearings so far, according to the NewsNation poll, which surveyed 1,006 registered voters Sunday and Monday.
When those who watched were asked whether their opinion had changed because of the testimony:
28% were now more concerned about what happened on Jan. 6
15% were now less concerned about what happened on Jan. 6
53% stated their opinion had not changed
"A lot of the people who say they became more concerned are probably people who already were concerned anyway," said Kiel Williams, a senior data scientist at Decision Desk HQ. "If you're in that segment of people, you watch this and you're really worried, you're probably not the sort of person who is inclined to support a Trump-aligned candidate anyway."
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Other responses to the poll highlight the different points of view on the hearings. Nearly three-quarters of voters surveyed believed the events of Jan. 6 were a coordinated attack, while 15% consider it a "small, inconsequential disturbance."
When it comes to Trump's role:
35% think he is fully responsible for the events on Jan. 6
24% think he is somewhat responsible
31% think he is not responsible
Opinions of the hearing were different along party lines. Forty-three percent of Democrats said the Jan. 6 hearing testimony made them more concerned about the Capitol attack, while 17% of Republicans were more concerned.
Earlier polls suggested the jury is still out on the hearing but not the Jan. 6 attack. An ABC/Ipsos poll released June 19 found that 66% of respondents haven't been closely following the hearings. Still, 60% believe the committees' investigation is fair and 58% believe that Trump should be charged with a crime.
According to the ABC/Ipsos poll, the majority of Democrats believe Trump is responsible for the Jan. 6 events, compared to fewer than a quarter of Republicans.