Most segments of the American public say hate and prejudice are on the rise since Trump’s election
The level of hatred and prejudice in the United States has increased since Donald Trump was elected president, according to 63 percent of American voters surveyed in a recent Quinnipiac University national poll.
Another 32 percent say the level hasn’t changed and 2 percent say it has decreased.
The demographic groups who say hate and prejudice are on the rise since last November include Democrats at 84 percent, independent voters at 62 percent, 56 percent of men, 70 percent of women, 66 percent of whites with a college degree, and all age groups. Forty-nine percent of Republicans say the level of hatred and prejudice in the United States has remained the same, but 42 percent acknowledge it has increased since Trump was elected.
According to the Jewish Federations of North America, in January and February of 2017, at least 98 incidents targeting Jewish community centers and Jewish day schools in 33 states have been reported.
As a way to address the outbreak of threats and vandalism aimed at Jewish communities in recent weeks, all 100 U.S. senators are urging the Trump Administration to take action.
In a bipartisan letter that was be sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and FBI Director James Comey, the senators wrote, “It has become clear that threats of violence against individual JCCs are not isolated incidents.”
American voters polled by Quinnipiac seem to agree.
Concern about anti-Semitism has jumped in just the last month. Looking specifically at prejudice against Jewish people, a total of 70 percent of American voters say it is a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem, up from 49 percent in a February 8 Quinnipiac University Poll.
American voters are evenly divided on President Donald Trump’s response to bomb threats against Jewish community centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as 37 percent approve and 38 percent disapprove.
“Americans are concerned that the dark forces of prejudice and anti-Semitism are rearing their ugly heads. Voters are less than confident with the new administration’s response,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
Americans are perceiving violence and threats aimed at other groups as well.
A total of 77 percent of voters say prejudice against minority groups in the United States is a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem, according to the independent Quinnipiac University poll, released March 9.
Pollsters asked voters the question: “Since the election of Donald Trump, do you believe the level of hatred and prejudice in the U.S. has increased, the level of hatred and prejudice has decreased, or hasn’t it changed either way?”
Sixty-three percent of voters answered “yes,” with 84 percent of the Democrats answering in the affirmative and 42 percent of Republicans also responding “yes.”
When asked “How serious a problem do you think that prejudice against minority groups is in the United States today,” 48 percent of voters answered “very serious” and 29 percent answered “somewhat serious.” Ninety-six percent of Democrats polled consider the problem to be very serious or somewhat serious.
When asked “How serious a problem do you think that prejudice against Jewish people is in the United States today,” 70 percent of American voters said it is a serious problem, with 53 percent of Republicans and 87 percent of Democrats classifying the recent spate of anti-Semitism as a serious problem.
From March 2 to March 6, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,323 voters nationwide. This poll has a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points. Live interviewers called landlines and cell phones.