Campus Protests May Be Backfiring
Public opinion is firmly against the campus protesters opposing the Israel-Hamas war and there are signs that they are producing a backlash.
Public opinion is firmly against the campus protesters opposing the Israel-Hamas war and there are signs that they are producing a backlash.
WHY IT MATTERS
President Joe Biden and Democrats face the difficult choice of whether to alienate their left-wing base or swing voters.
HOW TO USE THIS DATA
The results offer a framework for discussing the protesters’ motivations and demands.
Click here to read the full report… or read the summary below.
Most Oppose Campus Protests but Democrats Split
55% of Americans oppose the campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war while 34% support them. The strong opinions about the protests are even more lopsided, with 37% strongly opposed and 11% strongly supporting them.
77% of Republicans and 55% of independents oppose the protests. Among Democrats, however, opinion is flipped, with 34% opposed and 53% in support.
Gen Z is the most supportive of the campus protests, with 56% in support and 29% opposed. This includes 29% who strongly support the protests and 13% who strongly oppose. The mean age of voters who support the protests is 44 years while the mean age of voters who oppose the protests is 54 years.
63% of America’s New Majority voters oppose the protests while 23% support them. This includes 44% of undecided New Majority voters and 48% of those who plan to vote Democrat for Congress in 2024.
54% of Left Minority voters support the protests, with 21% strongly supporting them.
Most Say Protests Have Gone Too Far
62% of Americans say the protests have gone too far while just 5.9% say they haven’t gone far enough. Those saying the protests have gone too far include 47% of Democrats, 38% of Gen Z (a plurality) and 34% of those who support the protests.
71% of New Majority voters say the protests have gone too far, including 52% of those undecided about the 2024 election for congress and 61% who plan to vote for a Democrat.
42% of Left Minority voters say the protests have gone too far.
Most Say Antisemitism Motivates Protesters
71% say that antisemitism plays a major or minor role in the motivations of the protesters, including 81% of Republicans, 64% of Democrats, and 71% of swing voters.
42% say antisemitism plays a “major role.” Including 58% of Republicans, 32% of Democrats, and 38% of swing voters.
14% say antisemitism is not a factor, including 6% of Republicans, 20% of Democrats and 14% of swing voters.
Taking the Side of Terrorists
47% agree the protesters are taking the side of Hamas and other terrorist groups while 29% disagree.
There is a significant gender and age divide. 60% of men agree the protesters are taking the side of terrorists but only 35% of women. 37% of Gen Z voters agree compared to 58% of Boomer voters.
55% of New Majority voters agree the protesters are taking the side of Hamas and other terrorist groups, including majorities or pluralities of all New Majority voting groups.
Left Minority voters are the opposite, with 28% agreeing the protesters are taking the side of Hamas and other terrorist groups and 46% opposing.
Don’t Give In
53% say colleges and universities should suspend and arrest the protesters compared to 19% who say they should agree to the protesters’ demands that the universities cut ties with Israel linked companies and give amnesty for the protesters.
Once again there is a significant age divide, with 45% of Gen Z voters saying the colleges should agree to the protesters’ demands compared to just 8% of Baby Boomer voters.
Change Since February Suggests Protest Backlash
67% of American say they are closely following news of the Israel-Hamas war. This includes 22% who say they are following the news “very closely.” This is similar to our results from February.
Americans are still divided on if Israel’s military response to the Hamas terrorist attack is “a genocide,” with 40% agreeing it is a genocide and 39% disagreeing. This result is within the margin of error of our results from February.
There has, however, been a reduction in the number of Americans who agree Biden’s support of Israel is enabling a genocide in Gaza, with 28% agreeing and 51% disagreeing. This is down from the 31% agreeing and 55% disagreeing in February.
44% of Americans support President Biden applying pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire even if Hamas has not been fully defeated, while 39% oppose. This is down from the 49% who supported Biden’s pressure and the 35.3% who opposed when we asked the question in February.
52% say the goal of the U.S. should be to end the war as soon as possible compared to 35% who say it should be to support Israel until they eliminate Hamas. This is down slightly from the 55% who said end the war as soon as possible in February.