A recent survey found that about one-fourth of Americans surveyed believe that the FBI was in some way complicit in the events that unfolded on January 6, 2021 when supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. This survey was released by the University of Maryland (UMD) Program for Public Consultation (PPC) and is one of the first surveys to include questions about the Capitol Hill insurrection.
The survey asked respondents whether they agreed with the following statement: “The FBI instigated the protests and violence that occurred at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.” Of the 1,888 people surveyed, 28 percent agreed with the statement, while 38 percent said they did not know and another 34 percent disagreed with it.
The study also found that Republicans were more likely to believe the FBI involvement than Democrats or independents. Of those who identified as Republicans, 42 percent agreed the FBI had a role, while only 19 percent of Democrats and 18 percent of independents felt the same way.
The beliefs of the survey participants may be indicative of broader public opinion in the US, however, the results might not tell the whole story. It is important to note that this survey was conducted in May 2021, more than four months after the insurrection took place. It is likely that the respondents’ opinion could have been further impacted by a variety of factors, such as media coverage and partisan voices.
In addition, the survey did not address the ongoing investigations into the insurrection and whether in fact any FBI agents were complicit. Therefore, the findings of this survey should be taken with a grain of salt. While it is interesting to see the public opinion on whether the FBI was in some way involved, it is difficult to make conclusions based off of this survey alone.
Despite the survey’s possible shortcomings, it is still an important indicator of public opinion. As the Biden administration and Congress continue to investigate the events that lead up to the insurrection, it is important to understand how the general public perceives what happened and how the possible involvement of the FBI could have impacted the events of January 6th.