Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say they plan to watch the first presidential debate, according to a new survey.
CNN will host the first presidential debate on June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia. Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate. The program will be simulcast on most major networks, including ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News.
A new Syracuse University/Ipsos poll found 45 percent of Republicans said they were “very likely” to watch the debate, while just 30 percent of Democrats said the same.
When looking at the numbers across party lines, 61 percent of Americans said they are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to watch the debate.
This is a lower figure than a poll released in May, which found that 71 percent said they planned to watch the debate. The Quinnipiac University survey found that just 27 percent of respondents said it is unlikely that they will watch.
"Get out the popcorn, pull up a chair, it is must see TV and if the past is any indication, the gloves will likely come off early and often," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy at the time.
The Syracuse/Ipsos pollsters also asked respondents about the "state of democracy" in the United States and which candidate is a bigger threat to it. Nearly half, 49 percent, said Trump, while 34 percent said Biden.
"Republicans were more likely to say Biden is a bigger threat to democracy than the former president, and vice versa, according to the survey. Independent respondents also chose Trump over the incumbent as a bigger threat — 52 percent to 32 percent," The Hill reports. "Less than half of respondents, 47 percent, also said the country 'will survive no matter who is elected.' But, according to the poll, they acknowledged that the 'reputation and economy' could take a hit if the wrong leaders are elected."
The second debate will be hosted by ABC News in September. The network has not yet announced moderators for that debate.
The Syracuse University/Ipsos poll was conducted between May 17-19, with a sample of 1,017 adults and a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
