Poll: One in three Americans say it may soon be time to ‘take up arms’ against the government

According to a new poll, over a quarter of Americans believe it may “soon be necessary to take up arms” against the government.

Released by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics on Thursday, the survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted by Republican pollster Neil Newhouse and Democratic pollster Joel Benenson.

Most notably, the poll found that 28% of all voters, including 37% of gun owners, agreed “it may be necessary at some point soon for citizens to take up arms against the government.” Around 35% of Republicans agreed with that statement, along with 35% of Independents and one in five Democrats.

51% of liberal voters and two-thirds of Republicans and Independents believe the government to be “corrupt and rigged against everyday people like me.”

When it came to election integrity, 56% of Americans say they “generally trust elections to be conducted fairly and counted accurately.” That includes 78% of Democrats, 51% of Independents, and 33% of Republicans.

49% of Americans say that they “more and more feel like a stranger in my own country.” 69% of Republicans agreed with that statement, compared to only 38% of Democrats.

The poll found a strong political divide between the two parties. 73% of Republicans believe that “Democrats are generally bullies who want to impose their political beliefs on those who disagree.” 74% of Democrats say the same thing about Republicans. Both sides believe that the other is “generally untruthful and are pushing disinformation.”

49% of Americans say they have “avoided political discussions with others because I don’t know where they stand.” One in four said that they’ve lost friends over politics. 26% said they have stopped doing business with a brand or company because of a political stance they have taken.

The increasing toxicity online has caused around 38% to have “unfriended or stopped following someone on social media because of their political views.” One in five quit social media altogether.

The poll “was designed to probe polarization and its relationship to the news sources upon which Americans rely in a fractionated media environment.”