Strong majority of voters oppose tearing down statues honoring Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln

A strong majority of voters oppose tearing down statues honoring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.

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Just the News Daily Poll

With Scott Rasmussen

Rasmussen noted that solid majorities of voters oppose taking down statues honoring the three late-U.S. presidents, while voters are evenly divided on the question of statues honoring confederate leaders and soldiers. He also pointed out that by a 40-to-31% margin, there is plurality support for taking down statues honoring Karl Marx, the 19 century thinker whose teaching are the foundation of communism.

"There are clear partisan and racial divides on the question about statues honoring confederates," Rasmussen said. "Sixty-three percent (63%) of Democrats favor taking down such statues while 72% of Republicans are opposed. By a 2-to-1 margin, Black voters believe such statues should come down. White voters, by a narrower margin are opposed."

While most Democrats oppose taking down statues of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, there is a gap between white and non-white Democrats on the issue.

 

The gap is strongest on the question about Jefferson’s statues. By a 62-to-25% margin, white Democrats oppose taking them down. By a 43-to-33% margin, black Democrats take the opposite view.

The question on taking down statues honoring Marx is supported by a plurality of Republicans and Democrats. Among Independent voters, 35% favor the idea and 32% are opposed. Low-income voters (those earning less than $50,000 a year), are evenly divided on the question of taking down Marx’s statues.

The net positive support for taking down Marx’s statues suggests that Americans continue to see his ideology as a threat to America’s founding ideals.

The national survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted June 18-20, 2020 by Rasmussen, a polling veteran. Margin of sampling error: +/- 2.8% for full sample. 

To see the full demographic cross-tabulations for this polling question, click below:

To see the methodology and sample demographics for this polling question, click below: