Rasmussen Poll: Jan. 6 Narrative, Sentences Divide Voters

Nearly half of U.S. voters said the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack was mostly a peaceful protest that got out of control instead of a violent revolt against the government, Rasmussen Reports found.

A total of 49% of likely U.S. voters say the Jan. 6 demonstration was "a mostly peaceful protest that got out of control," while 45% say it was "an illegal insurrection against the government," Rasmussen Reports survey results showed.

Rasmussen also found that 41% of unaffiliated voters say sentences in Jan. 6 cases have been too harsh, while only 25% say the sentences haven't been harsh enough, and 21% say the sentences are about right.

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the right-leaning Proud Boys militia, last week was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the stiffest sentence handed out so far in the Jan. 6 cases.

A strong majority (68%) of Republican voters said sentences in the Capitol attack cases have been too harsh. Only 20% of Democrats agree.

In fact, 75% of Democrats say sentences either haven't been harsh enough (46%) or are about right (29%).

A total of 42% of white voters, 35% of black voters and 47% of other minorities say the sentences of Capitol attackers have been too harsh.

After Tarrio was sentenced, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted, "This is designed to send a loud and clear message from Joe Biden and his thugs in the DOJ: If you oppose us, you're going to jail. For a long time.

Asked whether they agreed or disagreed with Greene's statement, 55% of voters say they agree, with 4% who strongly agree. A total of 36% say they disagree, including 29% who strongly disagree, and 10% are not sure.

Rasmussen found that 59% of Republicans, 29% of Democrats and 32% of unaffiliated voters strongly agree with Greene's comment.

As for the Jan. 6 attack being a mostly peaceful protest that got out of control, 72% of Republicans, 31% of Democrats and 45% of unaffiliated voters agreed with that assessment.

A total of 67% of Democrats, 21% of Republicans and 46% of unaffiliated voters say the attack was an attempt to overthrow the government.

President Joe Biden's strongest supporters are most likely to view the Jan. 6 attack as an insurrection. Among voters who strongly approve of Biden's job performance, 78% said that description captures the Jan. 6 protest.

By contrast, among those who strongly disapprove of Biden's performance, 82% say the Capitol attack was a mostly peaceful protest that got out of control.

The survey was conducted Sept. 6-7 among 993 U.S. likely voters. No margin of error was given.