A surprising new poll published this week has found that many supporters of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump actually agree on something; namely, that the time has come to split the country.
The poll — conducted by the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia in partnership with Project Home Fire — found that 41% of Biden voters and 52% of Trump voters favor dividing the country in two between Democratic-voting and Republican-voting states.
“Yeah, it’s gotten that bad,” Mediaite writer Colby Hall wrote in his report.
Here’s the relevant portion of the survey:
Significant numbers of both Trump and Biden voters show a willingness to consider violating democratic tendencies and norms if needed to serve their priorities. Roughly 2 in 10 Trump and Biden voters strongly agree it would be better if a “President could take needed actions without being constrained by Congress or courts,” and roughly 4 in 10 (41%) of Biden and half (52%) of Trump voters at least somewhat agree that it’s time to split the country, favoring blue/red states seceding from the union.
Respondents were specifically asked to respond to the following statement: “The situation in America is such that I would favor [Blue/Red] states seceding from the union to form their own separate country.”
The results show that nearly half of Americans from both major political parties believe the nation’s political divide has become so toxic and irreparable that secession may well be the best solution.
It was part of an alarming trend uncovered by the poll, in which the majority of respondents expressed marked disillusionment with the current system of government.
More than 60% of Biden and Trump voters reportedly said they viewed America as “less a representative democracy and more a system that is run by and rigged for the benefit of the wealthy.”
As a way to fix the problems with America’s current political system, respondents seemed to support a more powerful executive branch able to carry out the will of the voters without legislative or judicial checks and balances.
“Overall, more than two-thirds support … emboldening and empowering strong leaders and taking the law into their own hands when it comes to dealing with people or groups they view as dangerous,” the report stated.
The UVA Center for Politics called their findings “dangerous and alarming,” but Project Home Fire expressed hope the results could lead to more constructive political dialog in the future.
“Our hope is that, by employing the tools of modern behavioral science, Project Home Fire can develop a deep, data-driven understanding of the fears and concerns animating the increasingly dangerous political and cultural divide in America,” Robert McWilliams of Project Home Fire said in a statement.
“The logical conclusion then, is that it is in the long-term interest of the country to pursue a series of strategies and tactics that encourage bridge-building and constructive dialogue and re-affirm America’s reputation as the world’s leading representative democracy,” Project Home Fire’s Larry Schack added.
