A recent political poll found that nearly one in five supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump do not support the Emancipation Proclamation, the document which freed slaves during the Civil War.
Despite his controversial statements about Muslims, immigrants and women, Trump’s political star is shining brighter than ever. The New York Times took a closer look at the people who are backing him in the race to the White House to see just where they stand on the issues. Specifically, the paper looked at the racial beliefs of the Republican frontrunner’s supporters. The observant look into the numbers turned up one shocking result; nearly 20 percent of Trump’s supporters did not approve of freeing slaves in the South.
A YouGov/Economist poll asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of “the executive order that freed all slaves in the states that were in rebellion against the federal government,” better known as the Emancipation Proclamation. Nearly one in five Trump supporters said they disapproved of it, while 17 percent weren’t sure.
The Times also notes that 70 percent of Trump’s supporters in South Carolina want the Confederate flag to fly once again at their statehouse. Thirty-eight percent wish the South had won the Civil War.
