For many Americans, a coup in which the military seizes control of the federal government is starting to seem like a refreshing alternative to the existing administration, according to a new poll.
Conducted by YouGov, a new survey has found that 29% of Americans could imagine a scenario where they would support a military takeover in the United States. A total of 41% could not imagine supporting such an event. And so while the coup-supporters are still decidedly in the minority, the fact that the option polls so highly is remarkable. This translates to 70 million Americans who are potentially ready to support a coup.
The survey results reveal a clear ideological divide. Republicans were more than twice as likely to rate a potential coup more highly than Democrats, with the two parties polling 43% and 20%, respectively.
Part of the suspected reason for fondness for a U.S. coup is that military officers consistently garner more public support than politicians. From the same survey, 70% of respondents think that officers want what’s best for America, compared with just 12% who think the same of members of Congress — a major disparity. In fact, 71% of respondents believe that members of Congress only want what’s best for themselves. Local politicians don’t fare much better at 59%.
This report, by Jonah Bennett, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
