Poll: 13% of Democrats say 9/11 gets too much attention, 25 years later

A new YouGov survey finds sharp partisan splits over how much America still focuses on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to say the country dwells on the tragedy too much.

The survey, conducted August 20-23 among 1,098 U.S. adult citizens ahead of the attacks’ 25th anniversary, asked whether Americans currently focus “too much or too little on the memory” of Sept. 11. Overall, a plurality of 46% said the country focuses on it “about the right amount,” 27% said “too little,” 19% were not sure, and 8% said “too much.”

The partisan divide was pronounced. Thirteen percent of Democrats — more than double the share of independents or Republicans — said Americans focus on 9/11 too much, while just 5% of Republicans and 6% of independents agreed. Half of Democrats (50%) called the current level of attention about right, as did 44% of both Republicans and independents.

Republicans, meanwhile, were far more likely to say the country doesn’t focus on 9/11 enough: 43% of Republicans said “too little,” compared with just 21% of independents and 19% of Democrats.

Generational memory also emerged as a concern across party lines. More than half of respondents, 54%, said Americans born after 2001 generally “do not have a good understanding” of the attacks, while only 23% said they do.

The poll also found deep partisan disagreement over the attacks’ lasting effects. Democrats were far more likely than Republicans to say 9/11 continues to affect “a lot” how Muslims are treated in the U.S. (71% vs. 42%) and U.S. immigration policy (58% vs. 45%), according to the survey. Republicans, by contrast, were more likely to say the attacks still shape “a lot” how patriotic Americans feel (51% vs. 29%) and national unity (35% vs. 24%).

On the broader war on terrorism, 48% of Americans overall said the two decades of military operations and expanded domestic security since 2001 have been worth the cost, including 71% of Republicans but just 37% of Democrats. A quarter of Americans, including 35% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans, said the effort has not been worth it.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

President Trump plans to mark the 25th anniversary at the Pentagon rather than at Ground Zero in New York, according to CNN, which reported that people briefed on his plans said he wants to deliver remarks — something the National September 11 Memorial and Museum does not permit at its ceremony. Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to attend the New York observance instead.