Poll:

Hatred in US on the rise since Trump's presidential election

Rasa - A new poll has found that nearly two-thirds of US voters believe the levels of hatred and prejudice have risen in the United States since the election of President Donald Trump.

News ID: 428045

Date: 10 March 2017 - 23:34

RNA - Some 63 percent of American voters said hatred and prejudice have increased since Trump's election in November 2016, while 32 percent said the levels have not changed, according to the poll released Thursday by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

Just 2 percent believed they have declined and 3 percent offered no opinion.

The poll also found that 77 percent of those surveyed felt prejudice against minority groups in America was a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem.

Moreover, 70 percent of voters said anti-Semitism was a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem, up from 49 percent in February.

"Americans are concerned that the dark forces of prejudice and anti-Semitism are rearing their ugly heads," said Quinnipiac University Poll official Tim Malloy. "Voters are less than confident with the new administration's response."

In the last month, perceived levels of anti-Semitism have increased significantly. Federal authorities are investigating a surge of threats against Jewish organizations in recent months.

A new wave of bomb threats against Jewish community centers across the US and in Canada last week prompted lock-downs and evacuations.

Civil rights groups say there has also been a spate of hate crimes targeting Muslims since Trump’s election on November 8.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a civil rights organization that tracks hate crimes, said in November it had documented 867 hate incidents in the 10 days after Trump was elected.

Critics say that Trump’s election has emboldened far-right groups and white supremacists and increased levels of xenophobia across the country.

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