A new study has revealed that a specific group of Republicans, known as MAGA Republicans, are more likely than other groups to endorse political violence. The findings, published in PLOS One, indicate that this group, making up approximately 15% of the US adult population, showed distinct beliefs on race and democracy, differing significantly from other Republican factions and non-Republicans.
In recent years, the United States has witnessed a surge in political tensions, culminating in events like the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. This has prompted a growing concern among experts and researchers about the potential for widespread political violence. Such incidents have not only immediate physical repercussions but also long-term societal and public health consequences.
To address this concern, researchers embarked on a study to better understand the attitudes towards political violence among different political factions, with a particular focus on MAGA Republicans – a term often associated with supporters of former President Donald Trump who strongly deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results.
Trump: is disgusting, a rapist, demented, a fraud, smells like shit
Everyone-not-MAGA: what the hell is wrong with you people
Science: Something is wrong with those people. We have numbers.
Everyone-not-MAGA: uh, yeah? That’s obscenely obvious?
Science: [repeat]
You are missing the point and misrepresenting science. The reason to do science isn’t to point things out, and that’s not what they’re doing here. They’re not starting with the conclusion (except that it’s perhaps the impetus to form various hypotheses).
Science tries to determine why things happen, and scientists make conclusions (and maybe more hypotheses) based on where the evidence leads. Figuring out why there’s something wrong with these people is not a fruitless endeavor, because if we know why, we can potentially rectify it.
Edit: clarification