IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

In the Trump era of public opinion, it's the GOP vs. the world

First Read is your briefing from "Meet the Press" and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.
Image: Trump supporters participate in a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington
Trump supporters participate in a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his baseless claims of election fraud.John Minchillo / AP file

WASHINGTON — The numbers from our latest NBC News poll show Democrats and Republicans living in two completely different worlds as the Trump presidency comes to an end — with the GOP usually orbiting far away from the majority opinion.

Sixty-one percent of all voters in the poll believe Joe Biden’s presidential win was legitimate, but only 21 percent of Republican voters share that view.

Fifty-eight percent of all voters are confident the election results were counted accurately, yet just 16 percent of Republicans agree.

Also in the poll, 57 percent of voters say the riots at the U.S. Capitol were an act of terrorism, but only 27 percent of GOP voters believe that.

Another majority of voters — 52 percent — say Trump was mainly or solely responsible for the rioters overtaking the Capitol, yet only 11 percent of Republicans agree. (Conversely, 28 percent of voters in the NBC News poll believe Antifa was mainly or solely responsible for the attack, with 48 percent of Republicans in agreement.)

Fifty percent of voters support Trump’s impeachment and removal from office, compared with just 8 percent Republicans who support it.

And 43 percent of all voters approve of Trump’s job, but 87 percent of Republicans do.

It is very difficult to have political compromise in this country — let alone a functioning democracy — when there’s this chasm in public opinion on the legitimacy of the election, on the Jan. 6 attack, and on what Congress should do with Trump after the attack.

Harris set to resign Senate seat today

NBC’s Deepa Shivaram reports that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris today will resign from her Senate seat, making way for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to take her place.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Padilla to fill the remainder of Harris’ term in the Senate, which expires in 2022.

Shivaram adds, however, that Harris won’t be straying too far from the Senate in her new job.

As vice president — and with an incoming 50-50 Senate — one of Harris’ key duties will be breaking tied votes in the upper chamber.

Tweet of the day

Data Download: The numbers you need to know today

24,034,459: The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, per the most recent data from NBC News and health officials. (That’s 612,986 more than Friday morning.)

398,688: The number of deaths in the United States from the virus so far. (That’s 9,036 more than Friday morning.)

124,387: The number of people currently hospitalized with coronavirus

281.91 million: The number of coronavirus tests that have been administered in the United States so far, according to researchers at The COVID Tracking Project.

More than 1 million: The number of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County, making it the first county in the country to surpass that number this weekend.

Every 6 minutes: How often Covid-19 kills someone in LA County, according to recent data.

More than 100: The number of people Trump is expected to offer clemency to in his final hours in office.

2: The number of days until Inauguration Day.

Speech prep

President-elect Joe Biden spent the weekend working on his inaugural address with family and his senior adviser Mike Donilon, NBC’s Kristen Welker and Mike Memoli report.

According to Welker and Memoli, the address will echo some of Biden’s recent speeches, like casting a bipartisan call for addressing the economy and Covid-19. But a transition official said to not expect Biden’s speech to be filled with soaring rhetoric.

“Biden’s allies believe that the speech offers an opportunity to continue in the leadership role he has been playing already throughout the transition – at a moment of crisis, demonstrating to the much wider audience that will be tuning in that someone is firmly in charge. That’s why Biden’s speeches throughout the transition have often included a simple line: ‘Help is on the way,’ according to this Democratic source.”

Biden also named his pick to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, per NBC’s Geoff Bennett. Rohit Chopra, a current member of the Federal Trade Commission, will lead the bureau, two sources told NBC News.

The Lid: Then vs. now

Don’t miss the pod from Friday, when we took a statistical look at Trump’s presidency – observing what the numbers looked like when he first took office and where they are now.

ICYMI: What else is happening in the world

The FBI is wary of insider threats as it screens members of the National Guard.

Far-right protestors were mostly no-shows after state capitals and DC were protected with fortress-like security barriers.

Former DHS staff say the Capitol riot exposed systemic issues in the Trump-era agency.

Impeachment managers say that the Trump impeachment trial is a referendum on whether he should ever be able to hold office again.

The incoming Biden administration has a message for migrant caravans: Don’t come now.

And the Biden administration is also preparing to roll back some restrictions on abortion.

Biden’s planning to pull the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on Day One, too.

And Twitter temporarily suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.