Large Majority of the Public Views Prosecution of Capitol Rioters as ‘Very Important’

As federal law enforcement agencies continue to pursue charges against participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the American public generally expresses strong support for continuing these efforts, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. 69% say it is “very important” for federal law enforcement agencies to find and prosecute the people who broke into the Capitol. 47% of Americans say the criminal penalties that the rioters will receive are likely to be less severe than they should be, given what happened.

There are sizable partisan differences in attitudes about the riot, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to view prosecution of the rioters as very important and to say that penalties for them are likely to be less severe than they should be.