While 84% of Biden supporters think the police response to protesters has been disproportionate, only 27% of Trump supporters think so

• A June 8-9 poll of some 1,100 Americans found that 58% believe the police response to civil unrest has been "disproportionate."
• Just 14% said police acted appropriately, while another 16% said their approach was "less severe than it should have been."
• Over 25% of respondents who are "definitely" voting for President Donald Trump also believe the police used disproportionate force. But of respondents from the same category, 41% said the response was "less severe than it should have been"; 25% said "much less severe."

A majority of Americans believe the police response to civil unrest has been "disproportionate," according to an Insider Poll conducted by SurveyMonkey.

But there is a stark partisan divide: Democratic voters are overwhelmingly convinced that law enforcement has gone too far, while some Republicans believe the response ought to have been even tougher.

Overall, 38% of respondents described the law enforcement response to unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd as "very disproportionate," while another 19% said it was "somewhat disproportionate." Just 14% said police acted appropriately, while another 16% said their approach was "less severe than it should have been."

Conducted June 8-9, the poll of 1,100 people found that those who are "definitely" voting for Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden are the most likely to think that police behaved badly: 84% said the law enforcement response was over the top.

Of respondents who are "definitely" voting for President Donald Trump, 27% believe the police used disproportionate force. But 16% said the response was "less severe than it should have been", and 26% said "much less severe." Another 21% of definite Trump voters thought the police response to protesters was appropriate.

Trump has encouraged governors to "dominate" protests with intense law enforcement responses. When peaceful protesters marched outside the White House last week, riot police and National Guard troops fired tear gas and flash grenades to clear the way so Trump could get a photo op.

Biden criticized the move, and said he will "seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country — not use them for political gain."

SurveyMonkey Audience polls from a national sample balanced by census data of age and gender. Respondents are incentivized to complete surveys through charitable contributions. Generally speaking, digital polling tends to skew toward people with access to the internet. SurveyMonkey Audience doesn't try to weigh its sample based on race or income. A total of 1,111 respondents were collected June 8-9, 2020, with a margin of error plus or minus 3 percentage points and a 95% confidence level.