Pew: 91% Democrats see violence next in war of words

by Paul Bedard

 | July 19, 2019 08:17 AM

After a week that saw President Trump and his foes toss toxic words at each other, there is now a warning that the next phase could be “violence.”
Nearly 8 of 10 Americans told the Pew Research Center that supporters for both sides could “act” on the politically charged rhetoric with violence. It was higher for Democrats, 91%, than Republicans, 61%.
And they want politicians to cool it.

“Americans broadly agree that elected officials should avoid using heated language because it could encourage violence. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) say this, while just a quarter believe that elected officials 'Should be able to use heated language to express themselves without worrying about whether some people may act on what they say,'” warned the center.
“While majorities in both parties say officials should avoid heated language, this view is more widely held among Democrats (83%) than Republicans (61%),” it added.
Trump is cited by a majority for stirring up the situation, but, like anything “Washington” today, there is partisan division.
Said Pew, “Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents overwhelmingly (84%) say Trump has changed political discourse for the worse. About half of Republicans and Republican leaners (49%) say he has changed it for the better, while 23% say he has changed it for the worse and 27% say he hasn’t changed it much either way.”