GOP voters appear more fearful that a second civil war is on the horizon than the Democrats, according to a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports. Two years ago, the situation was just the opposite, but John Kerry, Obama s former Secretary of State, has also warned about civil unrest, should Trump be re-elected.

When riots erupted in the wake of George Floyd s death, Republican senetor Marc Rubio was the first politician to warn that the United States could drift into a civil war if no  action is taken against extremists. „They hate the police, they hate the government, and they want this country to fall apart,” Rubio said.

More and more people seem to share his view. Last week, polling institute Rasmussen Reports published the results of a survey csrried out on a sample of 1000 respondents between 11-14 June. They found that 34 per cent of the country s population predicted that another civil war was likely sometime in the next five years. Republicans are generally more pessimistic, with some 40 per cent of them – compared to just 28 per cent of Democrats – envisioning a potential second civil war on the horizon. It s ironic that – although 2 years ago only 31 percent of average voters were feareful of a civil war – Democrats were more concerned than Republicans.

Rasmussen Reports also asked respondents whether they believe that the removal of Confederate symbols, names and monuments throughout the country – in honour of those who had fought in the first civil war – would help race relations. 27 per cent of respondents disagreed, compared to 39% who said the same in 2017. Black people are more optimistic. 54% of them are far more confident than whites (36%), and other minorities (40%), that the abolishment of Confederate symbols will advance race relations. Fifty-one percent of particiants opined that the abolition of Confederate history would have a negative impact on racial relations, leading to a civil war in the next five years.

Speaking at last week s Internet Democracy Summit, the Obama administration s former State Secretary John Kerry said that if President Trump wins again in November and voters believe that the election was unfair, a civil war could ensue. Mr Kerry likened the current riots to the upheavals of 1968, when the assassination of Martin Luther King provided the spark that set the United States on fire.