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Mar 15, 2023, 5:09pm EDT
politicsNorth America

41% of Republicans want Fox News to be held accountable for false election fraud claims: Poll

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REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
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The News

A new Quinnipiac University poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans, including many Republicans, think Fox News should be held accountable after it was revealed that their some of their most prominent hosts, including Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, spread false claims about the 2020 U.S. presidential election on air, while privately rubbishing them and badmouthing former President Donald Trump and his allies.

Here are the poll’s results when respondents were asked if the network should be held accountable after Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch recently testified that the hosts spread false information about the 2020 election being stolen from Trump:

  • Overall, 65% of Americans think Fox News be held accountable.
  • 41% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters believe Fox should be held accountable, but 47% don’t think the network should face consequences.
  • 93% of Democrats think Fox News should be held accountable.
  • 87% of all respondents said that they would stop relying on a news source if they thought it was intentionally not reporting the truth.
  • 75% agreed that the spread of misinformation remains a serious problem in the country.
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Despite many Republicans holding Fox News responsible for spreading Trump’s false claims on air, the former president still enjoys more support in the 2024 Republican presidential primary than other potential candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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According to the poll, 46% of Republicans or Republican-leaning voters said they supported Trump as the party’s nominee, compared to 32% who said they would back DeSantis. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — who announced a presidential run in February — got 5% support.

The poll also highlighted some bipartisan consensus, namely on U.S.-China relations.

  • 61% of Americans said they see China as the biggest threat to national security among a list of six countries that included Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
  • 49% of respondents said they supported a national TikTok ban. However, younger respondents were not in favor of it, with 63% between the ages of 18 and 34 opposing a ban.
  • 64% of Americans said they believe the COVID-19 virus most likely originated from a lab leak as opposed to natural transmission from animals.
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