Thread by @edokeefe

NEW FROM @CBSNewsPoll: January 6 has had lasting impacts on the nation's psyche, the most immediate of which is that millions of Americans think more violence is coming, and that democracy itself might be threatened. (A thread…)

Events of Jan. 6 were widely condemned when they happened and still are today by majorities of both parties. But there is an alternative set of descriptors and interpretations of those events, and of what should happen next, largely on the right.

A year ago, most Republicans strongly disapproved, but today, their disapproval is spread between strongly and a bit more only somewhat disapproving.
Americans who no longer strongly disapprove are less likely to describe the day's events as an insurrection than they were in Jan.

Moreover, four in 10 Republicans have a different conception of who was involved in the first place, saying most of those who forced their way into the Capitol were left-leaning groups pretending to be Trump supporters, @CBSNewsPoll finds.

Outright approval of what happened 1/6 comes from a minority of Americans, but certainly exists. Those who approve are younger, use right-leaning news sources and social media more, but also have what seem like larger items than just their views about 2020 or an election…

Those who approve of what happened 1/6 more likely to say the U.S. should divide into "red" and "blue" countries. There's a relationship between approval and conspiracy theories: among Americans who think QAnon ideas are at least probably true, approval of 1/6 events jumps to 50%

People widely call 1/6 a protest that went too far, but how much further becomes more partisan. Most Americans — including most Democrats, but just 1/5th of Republicans — call it an insurrection and describe it as an attempt to overturn the election and the government.

Notable: 4 in 10 Republicans say those who went into the Capitol were actually left-leaning groups pretending to be Trump supporters, @CBSNewsPoll finds.

Only 1/4 of Americans call what happened "patriotism" or "defending freedom." They tend to identify as conservative.

SO, WHAT SHOULD DONALD TRUMP DO NOW? This is most fascinating — 12% of the country, and a fifth of Trump's 2020 voters, want him to fight to retake the presidency *right now* before the next election.

Among that 12% who want Trump to fight *now* to retake the presidency, a third of those people say he should use force if necessary. That’s only 4% of the population, but still accounts for millions of Americans effectively willing to see forceful change in the executive branch.

LOOKING AHEAD: A majority of the nation now expects there will be violence from the losing side of a future presidential election, @CBSNewsPoll finds. (And look at the numbers on potentially supporting such violence.)

WHAT WOULD JUSTIFY POLITICAL VIOLENCE? Gun policies, abortion policies, civil rights, labor issues, and even vaccine and coronavirus issues are each issues at least a quarter of Americans say are important enough that violence might be justified, depending on the situation.

READ THE FULL POLL FOR YOURSELF: A year after Jan. 6, violence still seen threatening U.S. democracy, and some say force can be justified, @CBSNewsPoll finds: cbsnews.com/news/january-6…