Around 75% of Americans believe that democracy is at stake in the upcoming 2024 presidential election in November, according to a poll released by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research on Thursday, Aug. 8. Although, which presidential candidates poses the biggest threat to democracy depends on who is asked.
While most Democrats, Republicans and independents viewed the election as important to democracy, Democrats interviewed for the poll cited “grave concerns for the future of democracy” if former President Donald Trump wins the election this fall. Some cited a Fox News interview Trump had with Sean Hannity in December 2023.
During the interview, Trump said he would not be a dictator other than day one in office, if elected.
“No, no, no,” Trump told Hannity. “Other than day one. We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”
The findings in the survey suggest that many Democrats continue to view Trump as a threat to democracy due to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as Congress certified the election results after President Joe Biden’s victory in November 2020. The former president has also vowed retribution against political opponents, which some who viewed him as a threat cited as another reason for their opinion.
Meanwhile, Republicans are holding presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris culpable for the actions of the Biden administration.
Trump supporters polled believe the Biden administration is the real threat to democracy, accusing the president and his allies of weaponizing the U.S. Justice Department against Trump in criminal cases and allegedly letting Biden off the hook for possession of classified documents.
No criminal charges were filed in the case.
Other findings in the survey showed that Democrats viewed the race for president as more vital to democracy. According to the poll, more than half of Democrats marked the election as “extremely important” for democracy. Only just 4 out of 10 Republicans and independents reported the same opinion.
The poll was taken days after President Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July and as Vice President Kamala Harris announced her campaign for president.
