The Conversation (0)
Elaine McCallig
Oct 25, 2021
Trump supporters are more likely than Biden supporters to say they’ve met werewolves, demons, and vampires.
In a Halloween-themed YouGov poll of 1,000 American adults, seven per cent of the Trump supporters surveyed reported having a “personal encounter” with a werewolf in comparison to one per cent of Biden supporters.
Despite Trump supporters apparently meeting more of the furry shapeshifters, Biden supporters are more likely to believe in the existence of the lycanthropes (six per cent Biden supporters, five per cent Trump supporters).
One in ten Trump voters said they encountered a demon (in comparison to eight per cent of Biden voters). When it comes to vampires, four per cent of Trump fans say they’ve met Dracula in comparison to one per cent of Biden supporters.
An equal number of Trump and Biden supporters say they have met a ghost (20 per cent), with more Biden supporters claiming to have met a psychic (22 per cent of Biden supporters, 19 per cent of Trump supporters).
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As the US is a land full of folklore and supernatural tall tales, it’s no surprise that some said they’ve met “other supernatural beings”. Of those surveyed, one in six Trump supporters has experienced an otherworldly being not listed in comparison to seven per cent of Biden supporters.
Politics aside, when it comes to the general population more than two in five Americans say they believe demons (43 per cent) exist, and a similar percentage (41 per cent) say the same about ghosts. For both, more Americans say they do exist than say they don’t; the rest aren’t sure.
While 41 per cent of Americans believe that ghosts exist, about half as many (20 per cent) say they have personally encountered a ghost.
Far fewer Americans believe in the existence of werewolves (9 per cent) or vampires (8 per cent), though 31 per cent think that “other supernatural beings” do exist.
Women are more superstitious than their male counterparts, and are more likely to believe in ghosts, demons, werewolves, vampires, psychics, and “other supernatural beings”.
Education level may also play a part in whether a person believes in ghosts. Americans with a post-graduate education are the least likely to believe in ghosts, at 28 per cent, compared to 41 per cent overall. However, among men and women of different education levels, women are consistently more likely to believe in the existence of ghosts.
It seems young people (18 to 29) are the most haunted age group given they have had the most personal encounters with ghosts, demons, werewolves, vampires and “other supernatural beings”.
When asked what they do when trick-or-treaters visit the respondent’s home, Trump voters are more likely to give children candy or treats (69 per cent, compared to 67 per cent of Biden supporters) whereas Biden fans are more likely to pretend not to be home (20 per cent compared to 19 per cent of Trump supporters).
Perhaps the scariest statistic of all in this survey is the fact that 5 per cent of parents admit to gobbling all of their children’s Halloween candy. Most parents say they only have a few pieces of candy (47 per cent), while just six per cent say they keep their mitts away from the sweets entirely.
When it comes to getting into the Halloween spirit this year by dressing up, just eight per cent of those surveyed say they have a costume planned. Ten per cent say they don’t know what they will dress up as, but they do plan on cobbling together a costume.
Most people are not going to bother donning any Halloween clobber this year, however (74 per cent).
If you plan on dressing up but need some inspiration, check out our list of 21 viral pop culture ideas for Halloween 2021.