Four in five Americans fear country is sliding into chaos, poll finds

A flag waves in the wind as law enforcement conducts an investigation into the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Monday. | REUTERS

by JASON LANGE
Jul 17, 2024

WASHINGTON – Americans fear their country is spiraling out of control following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, with worries growing that the Nov. 5 election could spark more political violence, a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Tuesday found.

The two-day poll found Republican presidential candidate Trump opening a marginal lead among registered voters — 43% to 41% — over Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden, an advantage that was within the poll's 3 percentage point margin of error, suggesting the attempt on Trump's life had not sparked a major shift in voter sentiment.

But 80% of voters — including similar shares of Democrats and Republicans — said they agreed with a statement that "the country is spiraling out of the control."