More than a quarter of Democrats in a new poll said America would be better off if former President Donald Trump had been killed in Sunday’s assassination attempt.
That’s according to the poll of 1,000 registered voters taken after authorities on Sunday spotted a man armed with an assault-style rifle and scope hiding in bushes near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club while the former president played.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was able to hide for several hours just outside the course. Authorities say Routh pointed the barrel of his rifle through a chain-link fence toward the golf course, was spotted by a Secret Service agent, who fired at Routh. The suspect was soon arrested after fleeing the scene.
The poll from Scott Rasmussen’s Napolitan News Institute asked 1,000 registered voters this week: “While it is always difficult to wish ill of another human being, would America be better off if Donald Trump had been killed last weekend?”
Overall, 17% of Americans responded “yes,” 69% said “no,” and the remaining 14% said they were not sure. Among Democrats surveyed, 28% responded “yes.”
“It is hard to imagine a greater threat to democracy than expressing a desire to have your political opponent murdered,” Rasmussen said in a statement.
Democrats have been saying Trump represents the greatest threat to democracy in the U.S. if he is reelected.
Sunday’s attempted assassination was the second against Trump in about two months. In July, Trump was grazed in the ear when a gunman on a nearby roof opened fired at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pa., killing one spectator and wounding two others, in addition to striking Trump.
Despite the two attempts on Trump’s life, the poll also found that a majority (51%) of Democrats don’t think his security detail should be increased.
“Among all voters, 62% think Trump’s security should be increased and 32% disagree,” a news release accompanying the poll said.
The poll has a margin of error +/- 3.1 percentage points.
