“We Don’t Want Free Speech” Startling Poll Reveals Nearly Half of Biden’s Left-Leaning Supporters Endorse Restrictions on Free Speech

William FurneyOct 20, 2023

Minute Read

In a somewhat surprising result, a new poll has found that nearly half of President Biden’s supporters — left-leaning and liberal Democrats — are in favor of restricting free speech in certain instances.

‘Regulate or Restrict’

A total of 47 percent of Biden supporters held the view that the “government should regulate or restrict the expression of views considered discriminatory or offensive,” the poll, by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics along with research firm InnovateMR found. It compares with 35 percent of Trump supporters who held the same view.

‘Undemocratic Means’

Reporting the poll results in a section titled “Biden Voters Open to Undemocratic Means for Achieving Left-Leaning Ends,” the center’s survey also found that 31 percent of Biden followers believed it was “necessary to limit certain rights, like freedom of speech, to protect the feelings and safety of marginalized groups. A total of 25 percent of Trump supporters believed the same.

Gun Control

On the contentious issue of gun control in the United States, Democrats were more than twice as likely as Republicans (74 to 35 percent, respectively) to approve of measures “to restrict the number and types of firearms available to the public, irrespective of interpretations of the Constitution.”

Redistributing Wealth

The poll also examined the issue of wealthy Americans and whether “above a certain limit, (wealth) should be redistributed to address income equality.” It found that 56 percent of Biden supporters agreed while 39 percent of Trump followers were in favor of such a policy.

Biden Administration Pressure

President Biden’s administration was found by a federal appeals court ruling in September to have violated free speech by pressuring social media companies like Facebook to censor posts discussing the origin of the covid-19 pandemic. Facebook internal memos among executives seen and reported by the Wall Street Journal also mentioned the Biden censorship request.

Biden and Trump 2024 Race?

Editorial credit: Nicole Glass Photography / Shutterstock.

President Biden is seeking re-election in next year’s presidential vote, and Donald Trump is hoping to get back to the White House after controversially losing to Biden in 2020 — contentious for Trump’s refusal to accept he lost and a subsequent deadly attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters. Trump has been indicted over the election fallout and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

‘Bypassing Democratic Norms’

In a section of the center’s report on its poll findings titled “Trump Supporters Inclined to Bypass Democratic Norms to Realize Far Right-Wing Goals,” more Trump supporters than Biden’s (37 to 24 percent, respectively) held the view that “Laws should be enacted to limit the expression of views considered unpatriotic or disloyal.”

Respect for National Symbols, Leaders

Asked if “Laws should be enacted requiring citizens to show respect for national symbols and leaders,” half of Trump followers said yes while just 32 percent of Biden supporters were in favor of such measures.

Limits on Protests

The poll also asked respondents if a “law should be enacted that limits protests and demonstrations deemed by the government to be potentially disruptive to public order.” Nearly half (45 percent) of Trump supporters agreed that legislation of that kind should be brought in, compared with 30 percent of those who intend to vote for President Biden in 2024.

Authority to Ignore Congress?

Should the US president be given the authority to disregard Congress in decisions that are related to national security? the pollsters wanted to know. More Republicans than Democrats said yes, at 37 to 31 percent, respectively. Republicans were also more likely to believe that elections should be suspended during times of crisis, with 30 percent of Trump supporters agreeing compared to one-quarter of Biden followers.

Biden and Trump Disapproval

Respondents were asked to consider their views of Biden and Trump and to what level they disapproved of the job and campaigning they were doing. Half of all those polled said they disapproved of Biden’s performance as president of the United States and a higher proportion, 53 percent, said they generally disapproved of Trump now, reflecting a polarized electorate.

Voting Preferences if Election Today

If respondents were voting today for the next president, would they choose Biden or Trump? they were asked. A total of 52 percent of respondents opted for the former president while 48 percent said they would vote for the incumbent. Neither man has yet been selected as their party’s candidate for the presidential race, a process that will take place during primaries across the country starting early next year.

2024 Congressional Elections

Those taking part in the poll were asked how they would vote by party in next year’s congressional elections, held on the same day, November 5, as the presidential election. Most (40 percent) said they would vote Democrat, followed by 35 percent who would choose Republican candidates and 25 percent who would cast their ballots in favor of the most qualified candidate, regardless of their party affiliation.