Americans Don’t Buy the Insurrection Narrative

Two polls show few Americans believe the January 6 riot was a “coup” or “insurrection.” And the numbers are declining

Americans never bought House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “insurrection” narrative about the January 6 violence at the Capitol, and the majority believe the incident was not as serious as portrayed, according to a new pair of polls.

More Americans identify the mayhem as a “riot” or as “protests” rather than an “insurrection,” armed or otherwise, according to polls published in June and October.

The Center for Security Policy commissioned the polls with TIPP in May and September, asking the same respondents for multiple answers to identify precise public perceptions about the riot that occurred during the January 6 protest.

As the congressional January 6 committee began hearings in late September, the percentage of Americans who agreed with the insurrection narrative had declined since spring.

More Americans describe January 6 events as “unlawful entry” and “vandalism” than Pelosi’s favored term “insurrection.”

In June, a survey of 1,308 adults showed that only 13 percent identified with the “insurrection” term, and 14 percent with “armed insurrection.” Those views decreased to 10 and 12 percent respectively by early October.

Rejection of the insurrection narrative is strongest among Republicans, independents, and people of color.

The poll results show no majority view as to what Americans call the events of January 6.

In June, nine percent of Republicans and 13 percent of independents identified with the “insurrection” label, and five and 13 percent with the “armed insurrection” term. By October, those numbers had decreased.

Democrats held the strongest views, with 18 percent choosing “insurrection” in June and 15 percent in October, and “armed insurrection” at 22 and 19 percent, respectively.

Blacks and Hispanics showed more skepticism about the insurrection narrative than whites. The June poll showed that 11 percent of people of color agreed with the “insurrection” label and nine percent with “armed insurrection.” For months later those numbers held steady at 10 percent and nine percent respectively.
One-Third of Democrats Call It “Domestic Terrorism”

The term chosen most often by respondents to describe January 6 was “domestic terrorism,” at 25 percent in June and 23 percent in October.

That was not the term of choice for Pelosi, and the Justice Department has not charged any January 6 suspect with terrorism-related crimes, but the opinion is strong among the sizeable minority that favors the description.

Variations were small in both polls among race and sex, with the sharpest differences being according to...

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