Editor’s note: Issues & Insights gratefully acknowledges its collaboration with tippinsights on the simultaneous and exclusive release of this story.
Democrats advertised the Jan. 6 commission as an effort to ”investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack.” But in today’s highly charged partisan world, few believe that this is the commission’s genuine concern, according to the latest I&I/TIPP Poll.
The poll, which was taken after the first day of the commission’s hearings, asked a straightforward question: “How likely is it that the Jan. 6 commission will make a genuine effort to uncover the truth?”
Overall, the poll found that only 22% of the public believes that it’s “very likely” the commission will make such an effort, while 18% say it’s “not likely at all.” Another 26% believe it’s “somewhat” likely, while on the other side, 19% say it’s “not very likely” that the commission plans to expose the truth about what happened.
Not surprisingly, Democrats have more confidence in the goal of the commission, with 73% saying it is “very” or “somewhat” likely that it will make a genuine effort to uncover the truth.
But what is surprising is how little faith independents have in the commission. Only 36% of them think it’s likely it will make a genuine effort to uncover the truth, while 42% say it isn’t likely to do so. Among Republicans, 24% say it’s likely and 61% unlikely.
The results come from the latest monthly I&I/TIPP poll conducted by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence from July 28 to July 30, which included responses from 1,322 adults, giving it a margin of error of +/- 2.8 points. It is part of a new collaboration between Issues & Insights and TIPP to gauge public opinion on key current issues of interest to all Americans.
A TIPP poll taken in June found that independents were less likely than Democrats to call the events of Jan. 6 an act of “domestic terrorism,” (21% vs. 34%) and more likely to simply label it a riot (26% vs. 19%). And while 22% of Democrats called it an “armed insurrection,” only 13% of independents did so.
Other polls have shown independents’ support for the commission has tumbled. Just 52% say they support the commission in the latest Morning Consult poll, down from 65% the month before. Republican support fell from 45% to 34% between those two polls.
The commission – which is officially called the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex – came under turmoil when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took the highly unusual move of kicking two Republicans off what was supposed to be a bipartisan group: Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Jim Banks, R-Ind.
That prompted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to yank all five GOP lawmakers from the commission, and Banks to tweet that: “Speaker Pelosi only allowed people in the 1/6 Select Cmte room that will push her partisan narrative. They rejected my call to include the head of the Capitol Police Union who represents USCP rank-and-file. So we didn’t get the full story — just her cherry-picked version of events.”
Who does trust the Jan. 6 commission to do its job? Young urban liberals with a college degree who make well over the median income.
The poll found that 63% of urbanites and 62% of those 25-44 years old say the commission is likely to carry out its main purpose, but only 34% of those from rural areas, and 39% of the 45-64 do. Among those making more than $750,000 a year, 64% say the commission is likely to make a genuine effort, but only 42% of those making less than $30,000.
Fifty-nine percent of college graduates trust the commission, a number that falls to just 43% among high-school educated. Men are more likely than women to think the commission will make a genuine fact-finding effort (54% vs. 42%).
I&I/TIPP looks forward to providing more data in the coming weeks on topics of vital interest to all Americans. TIPP, as we’ve noted, has the distinction of being the most accurate pollster for the past five presidential elections.
Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. Before that, he served as the editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily. A graduate of UCLA, he lives in Los Angeles.
I trust McCarthy to do everything he can to sabotage the commission. I believe it is his antics that have cost the commission the trust of conservatives.
Nancy already sabotaged it.
As a right leaning Independent I do not believe the commission will do ANYTHING except try to bury Republicans regarding Jan. 6th. The reality for me is I believe nothing that comes out of Washington, I don’t care what party. I believe Trump, for the most part. The Infrastructure Bill is a a Farce, the Delta Variant is a farce, all virus’ mutate – what science? I live in Florida and we are doing terrific. Yes CovID (Delta) cases are going up but, that is part of “herd” immunity – the politics is at its best here and there is no help from them, they just love scaring the American Public. Americans grow up and get brave. I am 73, been sick twice and going strong. I exercise, eat right and try to keep my brain active. I have sympathy for those ,who have suffered from this virus, but it happens ever year !
Color me shocked that so many people are totally ignorant of the political theater happening in plain view in front of them. All this political theater is getting pretty expensive for the American taxpayer!
Great poll topic! Connect the dots, and the anti-Trump agenda is boldly manifest. Interestingly, those who did not graduate liberal arts colleges are better at connecting the dots and seeing the big picture on this issue. Pelosi’s Jan 6 commission services the same agenda as the two impeachment hearings, stopping Trump from running and winning again and serving a second term. Congress Dems are also going after the tax returns of private citizen Trump, with the blessing of DOJ. Perhaps the next congress will go after the Biden and Pelosi family financial records, the Dem/social media/big tech anti-First Amendment censorship collusion, and the wealthy Seattle residents funding the Jan 6 Capitol crowbar crowd (who were housed at DC’s finest hotels and given special buses to get their backpacks and crowbars to the head of the crowd; the same people beat up Senator Rand Paul, and hotels have the guest and payment records for Jan 6, too; though no one in congress seems interested).
Another dot: NY attorney Guiliai disbarred by New York for representing client Trump in election lawsuits. More agenda dots: Used to be people cast ballots, and volunteers from both parties looked at ballots and watched the counting. Today in places like Atlanta, Philly, Milwaukee, Wayne County Michigan, nobody from GOP gets to watch up close and verify election-day ballots and ballot counting. Even audits after the fact to see how states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona counted 200,000 more votes than registered voters is deemed taboo by the Dems. Even discussion of election irregularities is banned by social media and big tech. In this context, the Jan. 6 commission makes good political sense, as it doubles as a diversion. So no one is questioning how the Biden administration “corrected” the 2020 census data to keep Texas and Florida from gaining more congressional seats and allowed Illinois and Dem strongholds to get more representation than warranted by the raw census numbers.
The commission is a hand picked dog and pony show by Nancy.
I don’t believe most polls since they are easily manipulated; especially one that shows so many independents are uninformed… 36% is too high to believe.
I call it the Nancy Dog and Pony Show.
Just another witch hunt that Pelosi is doing. She just can’t stand it that people aren’t just flocking to her agenda of a socialist country. Wonder is the Capital Police that are committing “suicide” are the ones that don’t want to follow the play book and say what Pelosi wants them to say?
36% of independents feel that the Salem witch trials were fair based on fact-finding by the government.