Sacred For Whom? Race Ideology and Reactions to January 6th

Abstract The January 6 th insurrection at the U.S. capital was an eye-opening moment for many Americans. With the 2024 election cycle in swing, members of the Democratic Party are using January 6 th as a rallying call for the need to protect democracy. But were the events of January 6 th viewed equally among liberals? We argue that the events of January 6 th resonate for a particular demographic well-informed liberal White voters. We argue that liberal minority voters will feel the racial undertones of January 6 th more than White liberals. Furthermore, we examine how voters of different races viewed the events of January 6 th and how views on race relations impact their perceptions of January 6 th . We find that White liberals are less angry about race relations in the aftermath of January 6 th , and while they viewed January 6 th as an insurrection and blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress for their role, they are less likely to say that racism and White Supremacy motivated the insurrectionists. This paper indicates that race plays a key role in political perceptions, even among those who hold similar political ideologies.