There is a bigger racial divide on what people think should happen in the Rittenhouse case, rather than what they expect will happen. Black Americans overwhelmingly think Rittenhouse should be found guilty of homicide. White Americans are closely divided. The political divide is even starker. Democrats are 71 points more likely to say he should be found guilty than to say he should be acquitted, while Republicans are 50 points more likely to say he should be acquitted than convicted.

Americans who are paying a lot of attention to the trial tend to say Rittenhouse should be found guilty, though by a narrower margin than among all Americans.