Three years after Jan. 6, two-thirds of Republicans still reject the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election — which carries lingering consequences.
As the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack draws closer, support for Donald Trump’s “big lie” appears to be moving in the wrong direction. The Washington Post reported on the latest national poll conducted with the University of Maryland:
Of particular interest was the shift among self-identified Republicans: As 2021 came to a close, 39% of GOP voters said President Joe Biden’s election was legitimate. As 2023 wrapped up, that total was down to 31%, while 67% of Republicans said the Democratic incumbent was not legitimately elected, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.
This comes on the heels of a CNN poll from August, which found very similar results.
As far as two-thirds of Republican voters are concerned, Trump not only won in 2016, he also won in 2020, no matter what reality says about the results. For much of the GOP electorate, the calculus is no doubt straightforward: As the party looks for the best possible contender for the 2024 race, why not go with the candidate who’s twice already proven he can win?
In other words, as Republican voters continue to embrace this obvious nonsense, the more important their rejection of reality becomes.