Most Republicans say it’s ‘time to move on’ from Jan. 6: Poll

A vast majority of Republicans believe less importance should be placed on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, a poll finding that comes as the Department of Justice continues to arrest suspects over the riot and as former President Donald Trump faces a criminal indictment for it.

The poll, published Tuesday by the Washington Post, found that 72% of Republicans believe it is “time to move on” from the riot, compared to 46% of independents and 14% of Democrats who say the same.

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Trump, the leading 2024 Republican contender, was indicted last year by the DOJ over allegations he illegally conspired to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election and obstructed the certification of the results, in part by allegedly encouraging the riot. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is in the process of attempting to have his case dismissed.

Broken down by preferred candidate, 80% of Trump voters said it was “time to move on” from the Capitol riot, while only 11% of President Joe Biden voters said the same.

Of the 1,024 adults who weighed in on the poll, 53% said Trump had a “great deal” or “good amount” of responsibility for the riot, a 7% decrease from 2021.

Broken down by party, the poll found that a shift among Republicans drove the slight decrease. Fourteen percent of Republicans in the latest poll believe Trump is responsible for the riot, down from 27% who felt that way in 2021.

Independents and Democrats who believe Trump was responsible for the riot have largely maintained that view since 2021. Fifty-six percent of independents say he was responsible for it, and 86% of Democrats said the same.

The poll was conducted between Dec. 14 and Dec. 18, about a week after the DOJ revealed in its periodic update of investigations and prosecutions into the Capitol breach that federal officials had arrested more than 1,237 suspects for their alleged roles in the riot.

Of those, judges have penalized more than 450 with prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years, depending on the severity of the charges.

Many have been charged with mild trespassing misdemeanors. By contrast, more than 400 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding police officers, more than 300 have been charged with obstructing an official proceeding, and more than 100 have been charged with destruction or theft of government property, counts that frequently result in monthslong sentences.

Some of the harshest penalties were handed down to nine defendants who were convicted of a rare seditious conspiracy charge. They received prison sentences ranging from three years to 22 years.

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When asked about the penalties for Jan. 6 defendants, a majority of Republicans, 55%, said the sentences had been “not harsh enough” or “fair.” Seventy percent of independents and 91% of Democrats said the same.

The survey about the Capitol riot had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.