Rasmussen Poll: Majority Want BLM Protests Inquiry, More Than Jan. 6

As House leaders engage in a standoff over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Jan. 6 panel, a poll found that likely voters are more supportive of investigating the social injustice demonstrations that roiled the nation last summer.

A supermajority of likely voters (66%) want the Black Lives Matter and antifa protests investigated, while a majority do not support Pelosi's inquiry into the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll.

Just 49% support Pelosi's House Jan. 6 panel, and majorities of Blacks and Hispanics back an investigation into the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. The demonstrations sparked violence in a number of U.S. cities.

"Sixty-seven percent of whites, 64% of Black voters, 66% of Hispanics and 62% of other minorities think Congress should investigate the 2020 riots in U.S. cities," Rasmussen Reports wrote in the analysis of the poll. "Seventy-five percent of Republicans, 60% of Democrats, and 63% of voters not affiliated with either major party say Congress should investigate last year's violent protests."

Also, according to the poll, majorities of likely voters back police and reject the narrative of systemic racism in law enforcement.

The National Police Association (NPA) said there were 574 violent clashes and more than 2,000 police officers injured in them. In the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, only one person was killed: Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was a supporter of then-President Donald Trump. Trump has called for transparency regarding the investigation of the shooting — which the Justice Department has dropped.

While Black Lives Matter activists claim the American flag and pro-police Thin Blue Line flags are symbols of racism, 65% of likely voters reject that, according to the poll, which was conducted in conjunction with the NPA.

"When the mayors of cities in which violent riots took place in 2020 refused to let police immediately stop the crimes taking place, it sent a message to violent criminals across the nation that crimes will be allowed and criminals won't be touched," the NPA wrote in a statement. "For the last year, violent crimes have increased nationally and the lack of support from politicians has resulted in the number of police officers declining into a short staffing recruitment and retention crisis."

Other notable findings of the poll include:

• 53% think Congress should award medals to law enforcement officers who defended cities from looters and rioters in 2020.
• 62% say elected officials who downplayed the 2020 rioting and looting deserve criticism, which exceeds the 51% who say politicians warrant criticism for downplaying Jan. 6.
• 76% of voters say young people should be taught to comply with police.
• Less than 20% say law enforcement funding should be cut, while a majority of voters want more funding for police amid activists' calls for defunding the police.

Rasmussen Reports and NPA surveyed 996 likely American voters July 16-18, 2021, and the results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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