Americans Do Not Trust Secret Service After Trump Assassination Attempt: What Does The Poll Reveal?

Picture source: AP

New Delhi: After an assassination attempt on the former US President Donald Trump, most Americans do not trust the Secret Service’s ability to keep presidential candidates safe, reported Associated Press. 

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted the survey after director Kimberly Cheatle resigned. Cheatle had faced tough questioning during a live broadcast of a congressional hearing last week, where she gave evasive answers. 

What The Poll Revealed? 

- A new poll reveals that only about 30% of people feel confident in the Secret Service's ability to prevent violence against candidates before the election. Meanwhile, around 70% believe the Secret Service is at least somewhat responsible for the assassination attempt. 

- The poll showed that most Americans believe political division in the U.S. is largely to blame for the assassination attempt. About half of U.S. adults think this.  

- Roughly 40% hold the Secret Service highly responsible. Another 40% blame the easy access to guns.  

- Democrats tend to blame the availability of guns more. Republicans are more likely to hold the Secret Service accountable. 

Trump Assassination Attempt 

Former President Donald Trump was shot and injured in an assassination attempt a month ago at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

The incident claimed the death of a spectator and critically injured two others. Snipers took down the shooter, a 20-year-old man, after he fired eight rounds at the rally. The FBI identified the attacker as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. 

Earlier this week, the new acting director Ronald Rowe expressed his shame over the July 13 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania. He called it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman had not been secured.

The poll of 1143 adults was conducted July 25-29, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

(Based on inputs from AP)