By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
A new Rasmussen survey on terrorism, released Monday, reveals that 41 percent of “Likely U.S. Voters” believe foreign terrorism “is a greater threat to the United States, compared to 23% who think domestic terrorism is a greater threat.”
Now, the proverbial $64 question: Would you be prepared?
More than one-fourth (26%) are not sure, but the new survey results represents a reversal of a poll in June, when 58% said domestic terrorism was the greater threat to America, Rasmussen said.
The veteran polling firm also noted Monday that 52 percent of survey respondents “believe the war with Iran has increased the risk of attacks inside the United States by Islamic terrorists. Just nine percent (9%) think the risk has decreased, while 33% say the risk of Islamic terrorist attacks has stayed about the same. In April, 53% saw a higher terrorism risk because of the Iran war.”
Rasmussen’s survey apparently didn’t ask participants if they are personally prepared for a terrorist attack, but only whether they think the government can respond.
But what about the estimated 400 million privately-owned firearms in this country? What about the estimated 20-plus million U.S. citizens who are licensed to carry, and the untold number of legally-armed citizens in the 29 so-called “constitutional carry” states where no permit or license is required?
The survey of 1,085 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on September 29-October 1, 2026 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Depending upon one’s viewpoint, there is good or bad news for the Trump administration, as 63 percent are “confident in the ability of the federal government to protect Americans against terrorist attacks, including 24 percent who are Very Confident. Thirty-three percent (33%) aren’t confident the government can protect against terrorist attacks, including 13% who are Not At All Confident.”
“Among those who are Very Confident in the ability of the federal government to protect Americans against terrorist attacks,” the Rasmussen poll revealed, “31 percent view foreign terrorism as a greater threat, whereas among those who are Not At All Confident that the government can protect against terrorist attacks, 54 percent see foreign terrorism as the greater threat.
“Eighty percent of Republicans are at least somewhat confident in the ability of the federal government to protect Americans against terrorist attacks,” the poll disclosed, and that’s an opinion shared by 54 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Independents.
Breaking the numbers down along party lines, 43 percent of Democrats, 41 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of Independents believe foreign terrorism is a greater threat to the United States, Rasmussen said. Sixty-five percent of Democrats, 43 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of unaffiliated voters think the war with Iran has increased the risk of attacks inside the United States by Islamic terrorists.
