POLL: Most Voters Believe the Government is Spying on Journalists

In recent weeks, Tucker Carlson has brought attention to government spying on journalists by accusing the National Security Administration (NSA) of spying on him.

Many in the legacy media have scoffed at Tucker’s assertions, but most American voters believe that the Fox News host is on to something, according to the latest survey released by Rasmussen Reports.

The national telephone and online survey conducted by Ron Coleman and Coleman Nation discovered that 59% of “Likely U.S. Voters” are of the belief that it is at least “somewhat likely” that the U.S. government is spying on prominent journalists and dissidents. Of the group of voters who believe that the government is engaging in acts of espionage against journalists, 36% believe it’s “Very Likely.”  Only 21% of voters don’t believe it’s likely the government is spying on dissidents, and 20% are unsure. 

After a controversial episode of his show late last month where Carlson claimed that the National Security Agency was intercepting his communications, the corporate press dismissed his assertions.

However, as the Rasmussen report noted, “most voters have long believed the U.S. government spies on political opponents – in January 2019, 61% thought such surveillance was at least somewhat likely.”

Of the people who believe that the government is involved in espionage activities directed against journalists and political rivals, 61% don’t trust the government’s ability to conduct surveillance operations on American citizens in a manner that respects the civil liberties of Americans.

All told, American voters do not trust the government to conduct sensitive operations that could negatively impact their civil liberties. The covert nature of such programs should always worry civil liberties advocates. As the late Roberts Heinlein observed “secrecy begets tyranny.”

Right-wingers would be well-served by completely distrusting US intelligence institutions and electing politicians who will work to defund them and strip them of their vast powers. 

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