Poll: 13 Percent of Democrats Say Americans Spend Too Much Time Focusing on 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
A surprising percentage of Democrats say Americans spend too much time focusing on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a shocking survey from YouGov revealed.
The survey, taken ahead of the 25th anniversary of the devastating day, which took the lives of nearly 3,000 on American soil, asked respondents about the impact of 9/11 25 years later. It asked, “Do Americans focus too much or too little on 9/11?”
Overall, a plurality — 46 percent — said Americans focus the “right amount” on the tragic day, followed by 28 percent who said it is focused on “too little,” 19 percent who are not sure, and six percent who say it is focused on “too much.”
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Among Republicans, 44 percent believe that 9/11 is given the “right amount of focus,” but another 43 percent said it deserves more attention and is given “too little” focus. Only five percent said it is given “too much” focus. Similarly, only six percent of independents believe it is given “too much” focus, while 44 percent said it is the right amount, and 21 percent said it is not enough.
Annabelle Banievicz, and her son, Oriel Vanega, 7, attend a candlelight vigil Friday, September 14, 2001, at Union Square in New York, not far from the site of Tuesday’s terrorist attack against the World Trade Center. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
However, 13 percent of Democrats — more than one in eight — believe 9/11 is given “too much” focus, the highest among all political groups. Notably, 51 percent said it is given the right amount of focus, while 19 percent said it is not given enough focus, the latter of which is the lowest percentage among all the groups, as more independents and vastly more Republicans believe it needs more focus than Democrats say.
Volunteers and members of Team Red White and Blue place American flags on every name that appears on the memorial pools’ parapets in honor of Independence Day in New York on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. Photo by Monika Graff, 9/11 Memorial. (Photo courtesy of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum)
Coinciding with that is the reality that most of those surveyed, 54 percent, say Americans born after 2001 generally “do not have a good understanding” of the attacks.
Further, per YouGov:
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the Sept. 11 attacks are affecting a lot today the way Muslims are treated in the U.S. (71% vs. 42%) and U.S. immigration policy (58% vs. 45%). Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the attacks affect a lot today how patriotic Americans feel (51% vs. 29%) and national unity (35% vs. 24%).
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. has fought against the threat of terrorism through military operations abroad and increased security and surveillance inside of the U.S. About half (48%) of Americans — including 71% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats — think these actions have been worth the cost. 25% say they have not been worth the cost. 35% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans hold this view.
The survey was taken August 20-23 among 1,098 U.S. citizens. It has a +/- 4.1 percent margin of error.
President Donald Trump is expected to observe the solemn day at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and deliver remarks there, according to reports.
