A majority of Americans believe the U.S. is suffering from political divisions that are reminiscent of the Vietnam era, and 60 percent believe the tension has been made worse by President Trump, a new poll shows.
More than seven in 10 respondents in a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released Saturday said America’s politics “have reached a dangerous low point.”
And 39 percent view the current political climate as the “new normal.”
Another 70 percent of respondents said political differences that exist today have contributed to division that is as big as during the Vietnam War. That figure grows to 77 percent among Americans age 65 and older, many of whom came to age in the 1960s.
“It seems the country is being divided on so many topics and on so many fronts at one time,” a 68-year-old Virginia-based respondent told the Post. “When people have an opinion, they don’t just say it to their spouse across the dinner table anymore.”
Eight-five percent of respondents said Trump is to blame for sowing discord in the U.S. political system, including 51 percent who said “a lot” of the current division is the president’s fault.
Other leading causes, according to voters: the prevalence of money in politics (96%), the wealthy individuals contributing it (94%), fringe groups in either party (93%), the media (88%), Congress (94%), and political correctness (84%).
The survey of 1,663 U.S. adults was conducted between Sept. 27-Oct. 5. Results contain a margin of error plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
