Nearly a quarter of Americans believe 'Hitler was a good person' - poll

Most Americans think Hitler was a bad person at 65%, with majorities across the party lines, with Democrats at 75%, Republicans at 60%, and Independents at 59%.

 Adolf Hitler speaks in the Lustgarten in Berlin during the Reich presidential election on April 4, 1932. (photo credit: German Federal Archives/Wikimedia Commons)
Adolf Hitler speaks in the Lustgarten in Berlin during the Reich presidential election on April 4, 1932.
(photo credit: German Federal Archives/Wikimedia Commons)

Nearly a quarter (23%) of Americans think Adolf Hitler was a good person, with Democrats at 18%, Independents at 20%, and Republicans at 33%, according to a recent poll published by YouGov on November 4.

The poll surveyed 1077 Americans on November 1 about a range of topics and was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout, presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 

Most Americans think Hitler was a bad person at 65%, with majorities across the party lines, with Democrats at 75%, Republicans at 60%, and Independents at 59%.

A slight majority (54%) of Americans would not vote for a candidate who said Hitler did some good things, while 24% said they still would.

Three-quarters (75%) of Democrats said they wouldn't vote for a candidate who said Hitler did some good things, while half (50%) of independents and 39% of Republicans said the same.

 ADOLF HITLER reviews his troops during the victory parade in Vienna following the German annexation of Austria, March 16, 1938. Hitler called Lueger ‘the greatest German mayor of all times’ in ‘Mein Kampf.’  (credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
ADOLF HITLER reviews his troops during the victory parade in Vienna following the German annexation of Austria, March 16, 1938. Hitler called Lueger ‘the greatest German mayor of all times’ in ‘Mein Kampf.’ (credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Perceptions of Hitler by US officials 

Just over half of Americans think President-elect Donald Trump believes Adolf Hitler was a good person, the poll found.

Some 54% of Americans think Trump believes Hitler was a good person, while only 20% think Trump believes Hitler was a bad person.

The difference was split along party lines, with 73% of Democrats thinking Trump believed Hitler was good, while only 49% of independents and 41% of Republicans said the same.

Republicans were far more likely to say Trump believes Hitler was a bad person at 38%.

Only 20% of Americans think Kamala Harris believes Hitler was a good person, while 50% think she believes he was a bad person.