In Defying the Odds, we discuss Trump's record of disregarding the rule of law. Our next book, Divided We Stand, looks at the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection. Trump and his minions falsely claimed that he won the election, and have kept repeating the Big Lie.
There are stark political divisions in views about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Ninety-six percent of Democrats and 68 percent of independents say the 2020 election was fair. In contrast, over one in three (36 percent) Republicans believe the 2020 election was legitimate. Notably, 63 percent of Republicans believe the 2020 election was illegitimate.
Views about the integrity of the last presidential election differ significantly across the educational divide. Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) Americans with a college degree believe Biden was the legitimate victor of the 2020 presidential election, compared to only 58 percent of Americans without a college degree. The education gap is evident among Republicans as well. Nearly half (48 percent) of college-educated Republicans believe Biden’s victory was legitimate, compared to 28 percent of Republicans with a high school education or less. Regardless of education, Democrats overwhelmingly believe the 2020 election was legitimate. Ninety-nine percent of college-educated Democrats and 93 percent of Democrats with a high school education or less express confidence in the legitimacy Biden’s victory.
