Americans worried about political violence, blame political parties, Trump, news media: poll

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The majority of polled Americans said they are concerned by the threat of politically motivated violence, with nearly half of all poll takers pointing the blame on the media.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday showed that as many as 88% of Americans are concerned that "political divisions have gotten to the point" in the U.S. "that there’s an increased risk of politically motivated violence," with 63% noting they are "very concerned" by the threat.

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The poll was largely split between party lines with 28% identifying as Democrats, 25% as Republicans and 38% as Independents.

A police officer stands outside the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following an attack on her husband Paul Pelosi in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022.  (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Another 8% identified as "other" or "no opinion."

The poll was largely split when people were asked which party they blamed for the political turmoil, with 25% blaming Democrats, while 31% blamed the Republican Party.

Another 32% blamed both sides "equally," while 11% said neither side was to blame.

Rioters loyal to then-President Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

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However, when it came to whether the media was to blame for partisan divides that have motivated political violence, 47% said they believe media coverage has "encouraged" such action. 

Some 15% said they thought the media "discouraged" violence, while 33% argued that U.S. media neither discouraged nor encouraged violence. 

Another question asked poll participants if they thought Trump was to blame for "encouraging" politically motivated violence. Nearly half of all participants answered in the affirmative. 

A video of former President Trump played on a screen during a hearing of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., US, on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Trump's 187 minutes of inaction as an armed mob attacked the US Capitol will be the focus of the second prime-time hearing by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.   (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Nearly 20% argued Trump has "discouraged" violence, while another near 30% said he "neither" encourages nor discourages violence. 

The poll, which questioned just over 1,000 Americans by cellphone and landline, occurred the same week that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was violently attacked by a home intruder who said he was looking for the California congresswoman.