Washington, DC – New CBS News/YouGov polling highlights that Americans overwhelmingly want their elected leaders to denounce white nationalism. Republican respondents are evenly split, with a narrow majority wanting their leaders to denounce white nationalism. By contrast, Republican Party elected officials refuse to hold accountable their colleagues responsible for mainstreaming white nationalism, as the worst offenders in the GOP continue to double down on the dangerous ideas while others remain silent.
See below for key details from the new CBS News/YouGov poll, reflecting the views of more than 2,000 respondents nationwide:
When asking, “Do you think it’s important for political leaders in the U.S. to condemn White nationalism and White supremacy in the U.S.?”
- A combined 72% of Americans say it’s “very” (49%) or “somewhat” (23%) important for political leaders to condemn white nationalism while only a combined 28% say it’s either “not very important” (15%) or “not important at all” (13%)
- By partisan affiliation:
- Democrats: by a combined 90-10% margin believe it’s either “very” (75%) or “somewhat” (15%) important for political leaders to condemn white nationalism.
- Independents: by a combined 71-29% margin believe it’s either “very” (46%) or “somewhat” (25%) important for political leaders to condemn white nationalism.
- Republicans: by a combined 52-48% margin believe it’s either “very” (23%) or “somewhat” (29%) important for political leaders to condemn white nationalism.
The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Deputy Director of America’s Voice:
The GOP refuses to condemn or excommunicate those responsible for spreading white nationalist conspiracies and lies of ‘white replacement’ and ‘invasion,’ despite the deadly consequences of mainstreaming such vile ideas and the wishes of the American people. As this poll highlights, Republicans are evenly split, with a slight majority of respondents wanting their leaders to denounce white nationalism instead of enabling, defending and spreading it.
Yet, the GOP not only is refusing to act, but it is doubling down on their vile message, standing up proudly for white nationalism at the annual CPAC conference, which this year was held in Hungary, a country led by authoritarian leader Viktor Orban. Orban has fully embraced ‘replacement theory’ and is a leader of the global white nationalist and anti-democratic movement. The GOP must end its crusade against our American values, against American democracy, and not remain silent as more American lives are sacrificed to white nationalist terrorism in the GOP’s quest for power.