Reenactors at the 244th anniversary of the Tea Party, Boston, MA, Dec 16, 2017. Getty // Nicolaus Czarnecki
Q1. In early June, protests began outside ICE facilities in Portland, OR in response to ICE operations. Reports and photos indicate the protestors typically number 50-100, though have been as many as 200, and can be more at other locations around the city.
In September, President Trump described the city as "war ravaged" and announced plans to send National Guard troops to protect the immigration facilities. The Oregon Attorney General filed suit, arguing that Trump was "exaggerating the threat of protests against his immigration policies to justify illegally seizing control of state National Guard units."
A Trump-appointed federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment of Guardsmen under the Trump administration's control to Oregon, saying there was no danger of rebellion against federal authority in Portland. The block expires in early November.
Do you think the presence of the Guard would be more likely to decrease or increase occasions of violence at the Portland protests?
In September, President Trump described the city as "war ravaged" and announced plans to send National Guard troops to protect the immigration facilities. The Oregon Attorney General filed suit, arguing that Trump was "exaggerating the threat of protests against his immigration policies to justify illegally seizing control of state National Guard units."
A Trump-appointed federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment of Guardsmen under the Trump administration's control to Oregon, saying there was no danger of rebellion against federal authority in Portland. The block expires in early November.
Do you think the presence of the Guard would be more likely to decrease or increase occasions of violence at the Portland protests?
(Image: Protestors and federal agents outside ICE facility, Portland Or, Sept 28, 2025. Getty)
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Decrease
34%
41%
27%
75%
19%
1%
28%
36%
38%
27%
Increase
56%
46%
64%
11%
66%
93%
59%
57%
50%
60%
No impact
5%
6%
5%
5%
9%
5%
1%
1%
8%
10%
Not sure
4%
5%
3%
5%
6%
2%
11%
3%
2%
3%
Don't care
2%
3%
1%
4%
0%
0%
0%
3%
2%
0%
Q2. On Jan 6, 2021, a crowed of about 10,000 gathered at the Capitol to protest the 2020 election results, roughly 2,200 of whom breached the building. Last month, conservative outlet Blaze Media wrote that the "FBI had 274 plainclothes agents embedded in Jan. 6 crowds."
The next day, President Trump posted that the agents were "probably acting as Agitators and Insurrectionists and certainly not as Law Enforcement Officials." Subsequently, FBI Director Kash Patel posted (and soon removed) that FBI agents were at the Capitol, but only for crowd control after they were called in for for that duty by the Metro Police.
In 2024, the Justice Dept inspector general found "no evidence that the FBI had undercover employees in the protest crowds or at the Capitol, on January 6," though noted that the FBI had 26 informants in the crowd.
Do you think the FBI did more to control or instigate the Jan 6 crowd?
The next day, President Trump posted that the agents were "probably acting as Agitators and Insurrectionists and certainly not as Law Enforcement Officials." Subsequently, FBI Director Kash Patel posted (and soon removed) that FBI agents were at the Capitol, but only for crowd control after they were called in for for that duty by the Metro Police.
In 2024, the Justice Dept inspector general found "no evidence that the FBI had undercover employees in the protest crowds or at the Capitol, on January 6," though noted that the FBI had 26 informants in the crowd.
Do you think the FBI did more to control or instigate the Jan 6 crowd?
(Image: US Capitol, Washington DC, Jan 6, 2021. Getty // AFP)
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Control
8%
6%
10%
2%
11%
12%
1%
9%
7%
12%
Instigate
37%
45%
30%
74%
30%
6%
38%
33%
44%
31%
Didn't do either, though they were there
25%
26%
24%
19%
33%
28%
28%
27%
22%
25%
Didn't do either, weren't there
22%
18%
25%
1%
17%
41%
19%
18%
22%
27%
Not sure
8%
5%
10%
3%
9%
13%
13%
13%
4%
5%
Don't care
0%
0%
1%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
Q3. In March 1770, a mob of about 350 people gathered in response to an altercation between a teenaged wigmaker’s apprentice and a British soldier on guard duty, whom the former had (it turns out falsely) accused of an unpaid bill. The British government had sent a contingent of soldiers two years earlier to help enforce unpopular tariffs.
The crowd verbally harassed and threw projectiles at what grew to be nine soldiers, some of whom ultimately fired into the crowd, killing five colonials in what became known as the Boston Massacre.
Lawyer John Adams, staunch advocate for independence from Britain and later the 2nd US president, represented the eight British soldiers accused of murder.
In his closing argument, Adams said "this tragedy was not brought on by soldiers but by the mob. And the mob it must be understood was the inevitable result of the flawed policy of quartering troops in a city on the pretext of keeping the peace. Soldiers quartered in a populous crowed will always occasion two mobs where they prevent one." The jury, for the most part, acquitted the soldiers (see result's Additional Information).
Which do you think was most to blame for the five deaths?
The crowd verbally harassed and threw projectiles at what grew to be nine soldiers, some of whom ultimately fired into the crowd, killing five colonials in what became known as the Boston Massacre.
Lawyer John Adams, staunch advocate for independence from Britain and later the 2nd US president, represented the eight British soldiers accused of murder.
In his closing argument, Adams said "this tragedy was not brought on by soldiers but by the mob. And the mob it must be understood was the inevitable result of the flawed policy of quartering troops in a city on the pretext of keeping the peace. Soldiers quartered in a populous crowed will always occasion two mobs where they prevent one." The jury, for the most part, acquitted the soldiers (see result's Additional Information).
Which do you think was most to blame for the five deaths?
(Image: Don Troiani's "The Boston Massacre," 2017)
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
British government
38%
35%
39%
24%
42%
49%
56%
42%
30%
34%
Soldiers
15%
17%
13%
6%
13%
22%
10%
13%
14%
20%
Mob
24%
23%
24%
45%
19%
6%
12%
21%
28%
24%
Wigmaker's apprentice
3%
5%
1%
4%
3%
3%
0%
8%
2%
3%
None any more than the others
9%
8%
9%
5%
10%
11%
9%
4%
10%
13%
Not sure
9%
7%
11%
10%
9%
8%
12%
9%
10%
6%
Don't care
3%
4%
2%
6%
3%
1%
0%
4%
4%
1%
The jury acquitted six of the soldiers after 3 hours of deliberation. Two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter because there was overwhelming evidence that they had fired directly into the crowd. The jury's decisions suggest that they believed that the soldiers had felt threatened by the crowd but should have delayed firing. The convicted soldiers pleaded benefit of clergy, the right to a lesser sentence for a first offender. This reduced their punishment from a death sentence to branding of the thumb in open court.
Pct that approve of Trump sending Guard to each locale in event local officials don't want them
44% Washington, DC
36% where the respondent lives
35% Detroit,
34% Baltimore, NYC
33% Oakland
30% Memphis
26% Little Rock
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