Only 54 percent of Americans believe the death penalty is morally justifiable, the lowest percentage to date, a Gallup poll released Tuesday, shows.
The poll, conducted between May 1 and May 13, shows support for capital punishment faced a six point decline from last year’s 2019 survey.
Liberals are the least supportive demographic, with only 37 percent believing the death penalty to be morally acceptable. Moderates are more split, with 56 percent approval, while conservatives have the highest support at 67 percent.
The partisan divide is not surprising. President Donald Trump has pledged support for the practice, while major Democratic figures, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have rallied against it.
Despite the slim majority, the Gallup poll, which has collected data on the subject for the last 20 years, shows a gradual years-long decrease in support from all three groups. The year with the highest margin of support is shown to be 2006, when 71% of America believed the practice to be morally justifiable. (RELATED: Death Penalty Rescinded For Texas Inmate Over Racist Witness Testimony)
This Gallup poll is part of a larger project that collects data on Americans’ opinions of 21 controversial issues. At 54 percent approval, capital punishment is perceived by Americans to be more morally justifiable than other topics including pornography and abortion, with 20 percent, and 40 percent approval, respectively.
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The results come from a national sample of 1,028 adults from all 50 states and D.C.
The survey has a sampling error of +/- 5 percentage points.