Questions - Weaponization - April 6-8, 2026

National Survey of 1,111 U.S. Likely Voters
Conducted April 6-8, 2026

By Rasmussen Reports

1* The phrase “weaponization of government” is commonly used to refer to the strategic manipulation of governmental institutions into tools to punish opposing political views and/or to gain a political advantage. How serious a threat to our Republic is the weaponization of government?

2* After beginning his second term in January 2025, President Trump issued an executive order ending the practice of weaponization and setting in motion a program to identify and remedy past misconduct from weaponization. Do you approve or disapprove of this effort?

3* The U.S. Department of Justice established the Weaponization Working Group in February 2025 to review instances of politicized prosecutions, but the office has since been shut down by department management. How important is it that past instances of government weaponization be properly addressed and victims compensated?

4* Former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who was U.S. national security advisor to President Obama, recently warned that companies and other entities that “take a knee” to President Trump can expect to be “held accountable” if Democrats return to power. Do you approve or disapprove of this kind of warning by someone with Ms. Rice's background?

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence