US Voters Call Extremism, Immigration 'Very Serious Problem,' Poll Finds

According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, concerns about political extremism and risks to democracy have become the top concerns for US voters.

Over 21% of respondents in the three-day survey, which ended on Sunday, chose "political extremism or threats to democracy" as the biggest issue facing the US, compared to 19% who chose the economy and 18% who chose immigration.

Poll: US Voters' Top Concern is Extremism

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 24: People vote during the South Carolina Republican presidential primary at Kilbourne Baptist Church on February 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. Nikki Haley is facing off against former U.S. President Donald Trump in the South Carolina Republican primary.

Biden's Democrats considered extremism as the top problem, while Trump's Republicans heavily selected immigration. Nearly a third of independent respondents cited extremism as their greatest concern, followed by immigration, which was mentioned by around one in five. The economy ranked third.

Overall, 34% of respondents said Biden handled extremism better, compared to 31% who said Trump was the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. The poll highlights how Biden's re-election bid could rely on voters being motivated by their opposition to Trump rather than enthusiasm over Biden's campaign.

Furthermore, the poll showed that Biden's approval rating, at 37%, was close to the lowest level of his presidency and down a percentage point from a month earlier. Nine out of ten Democrats backed his performance, and the same share of Republicans disapproved, while independents were slightly tilted toward disapproval.

However, 44% of Democrats listed extremism as their main concern, while 10% listed the economy as their second most-picked issue. Political extremism was not offered to respondents as a choice for the nation's largest problem in previous Reuters/Ipsos polls.

While 38% of Republicans said immigration was the most important issue facing the nation, a significant portion 13% selected extremism, suggesting that Trump's claims about the threat posed to the country by "far left" Democrats also resonate with his supporters.

Republicans ranked the economy, which has struggled with high inflation for most of Biden's presidency, as the second biggest issue, with 22% saying it weighed the most. Trump led Biden 36% to 30% regarding having a stronger economic strategy. Some Democrats or Republicans considered those issues to be top national priorities.

Trump's Criminal Charges

Meanwhile, Biden's re-election campaign focuses on threats to democracy posed by Trump, whose several legal issues include criminal charges linked to his attempts to reverse his defeat to Biden in the 2020 presidential contest. According to other Reuters/Ipsos polls, Biden's supporters are more driven by their opposition to Trump than by their support for the president.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, arguing that the Democrats are plotting to prevent him from winning the presidency again.

According to US News, Trump has verbally attacked the judges and prosecutors handling his criminal and civil cases daily. In a Reuters study which was conducted earlier this month, the number of serious threats made against US federal judges has increased by more than twice in the last three years.