NEW POLL: Only 20% of Americans Are ‘Very Confident’ Secret Service Can Protect Presidential Candidates from Harm

Sarah RumpfJul 14th, 2024, 7:55 pm
 

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

A new poll conducted in the aftermath of the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally Saturday shows many Americans have serious concerns about the Secret Service’s ability to protect presidential candidates.

Trump had only been speaking a few minutes on stage at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when shots rang out and he grabbed his ear. After receiving treatment at a local medical facility, he was released.

Several rally attendees were also hit during the shooting. Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, Pa., was fatally shot as he “tried to shield family” from bullets, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Two others, David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pa., and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pa., were wounded and are recovering in stable condition.

The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed when Secret Service agents returned fire. Crooks was on the roof of a building nearby the rally that was outside the security perimeter that included metal detectors. The shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

YouGov conducted several polls in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. According to a press email from YouGov, the polls were “fielded after the event happened” and “included responses from 4,339 Americans.”

One question asked respondents, “How confident are you that the Secret Service can protect presidential candidates from harm?”

YouGov poll

Image via YouGov.

Only 20% responded “very confident.”

“Somewhat confident” was the response for 45% of respondents, “not very confident” 17%, “not at all confident” 7%, and “not sure” 11%.

The responses were fairly consistent across different geographic regions of the U.S. There were more notable differences among partisan groups, with independent voters notably more skeptical about the Secret Service’s ability to protect presidential candidates than Democrats or Republicans.

Image via YouGov.

According to YouGov’s website, their methodology results in a margin of error of “approximately 3%.”

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.