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A new poll published this week by Liberal Currents in partnership with the Center for Strategic Politics has set off a political firestorm. The survey asked 683 self‑identified Democratic voters how they would feel about different ways President Donald Trump might leave office. The answers are both alarming and useful political fuel: large majorities cheered impeachment or removal under the 25th Amendment, a majority reacted positively to a military coup, and roughly three in ten said they would view a public assassination of the president positively.
What the poll found
The headline numbers are stark and easy to repeat. Impeachment, conviction and removal by Congress scored the highest positive response. Removal under the 25th Amendment also got strong approval. But the poll did not stop there: a plurality said they would view Trump dying in his sleep positively, a majority said they’d view a military removal of the president positively, and about 30 percent registered a positive reaction to a hypothetical public assassination (roughly 23 percent “very positive,” about 8–9 percent “somewhat positive,” and about 25 percent neutral). The field work took place in early September and the poll reports a margin of error of roughly ±3.75 points for the 683‑respondent sample.
Why this matters
This is more than tabloid shock value. The results show a worrying tolerance for undemocratic and violent outcomes among a slice of Democratic voters. That helps explain why conservative leaders — including Governor Ron DeSantis and other Republican voices — were quick to blast the findings and use them to argue that the other side doesn’t really love democracy. Whether you plan to use this poll as campaign fodder or as a warning light, the takeaway is simple: a large group of voters saying they’d welcome non‑electoral removals of a sitting president should make every citizen pause.
Methodology and caveats
That said, smart skepticism matters. The survey sampled only self‑identified Democrats via SMS‑to‑web and online panels, and the exact wording of those violence‑related questions matters a lot. Polls that ask about hypothetical violence can produce exaggerated responses depending on phrasing and context. Journalists and analysts should demand the full questionnaire, toplines and crosstabs before turning a single chart into a verdict on an entire party. Still, caveats don’t erase the headline: even if the numbers shift, the existence of this sentiment in any measurable chunk of voters is troubling.
Bottom line
Republicans should not let this moment pass. Use the poll to expose the gap between the rhetoric about “defending democracy” and what some voters say they actually support. At the same time, conservatives should not celebrate violence or hope for chaos — we should point out the hypocrisy and make the case for real democratic norms. Whether you’re a voter, a campaign staffer, or someone tired of political double standards, this poll deserves scrutiny and a hard look at what we’re teaching the next generation about politics and civility.
