SHOCK POLL: Only 41 Percent of Republicans Say MLK Day Should be Federal Holiday — 7 Pts LESS Than When Law Was Signed in 1983

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

In the year 2021, only 41 percent of Republican voters believe that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday should be a federal holiday — a full seven points fewer than when the law establishing the holiday was signed in 1983.

This Monday marks the date on which Americans commemorate the life of the civil rights legend with a federal holiday — but not all Americans welcome the celebration.

Respondents to a new The Economist/YouGov poll were asked “Do you think that Martin Luther King’s birthday should be a Federal Holiday?”

Overall, 58 percent of respondents said “yes,” Martin Luther King’s birthday should be a Federal Holiday, with 21 percent responding “no” and another 21 percent saying they were “not sure.”

Support for the holiday from racial subgroups was highest among Black respondents, 77 percent of whom said “yes” versus 10 percent who said “no” and 14 percent who weren’t sure. Among White respondents, support was lowest among White men with no college degree at 44 percent.

The highest support was registered among Democrats at 78 percent “yes” and 11 percent “no,” with 10 percent not sure.

But by far, the lowest support for the holiday came from Republicans, only 41 percent of whom said “yes,” MLK Day should be a federal holiday, with the remaining 59 percent either against it (36%) or not sure (23%).

Among independent voters, the majority who said “yes” was a slim 53 percent, while 24 percent said no and 23% were not sure.

Even more shocking, though, is the fact that while support for the holiday has grown among Democrats since the holiday was signed into law in 1983, support from Republicans and independents has decreased quite significantly.

According to a Harris poll taken weeks before the Senate passed the bill, 48 percent of Republicans and 62 percent of independents favored establishing the law. Forty-two percent of Republicans were opposed, while 10 percent were “not sure.”

In that same poll, 66 percent of Democrats favored the law while 29 percent opposed, with 5 percent saying they were “not sure.”

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