Nearly three quarters of Americans see politically motivated violence a major problem for the United States, according to a new survey finding released on Tuesday by public broadcasters NPR and PBS and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
The nationwide poll interviewed 1,381 adults from June 23 to 25 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. The partisan breakdown for this survey among registered voters was 35 percent Democrat, 34 percent Republican, and 29 percent independent.
The poll showed that 73 percent of the respondents said that they regard politically motivated violence as a major national problem. Democrats and independents were much more concerned about this problem than Republicans.
Meanwhile, 76 percent of the respondents believe the country's democracy faces a "serious threat." The anxiety spanned the political spectrum -- 89 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of independents, and 57 percent of Republicans shared that view.
Based on the above poll results, Forbes magazine quoted experts as saying that the political division in the United States have been deepening for decades, and the degree of polarization and confrontation has now reached the highest level since the Great Depression in the 1930s and the American Civil War in the 19th century, with an increase in politically motivated violence accordingly.
The survey is part of an ongoing collaboration between NPR, PBS and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which has tracked Americans' views on democracy regularly since 2022. Researchers noted that the share perceiving a serious threat had stayed above 70 percent for the past three polls, highlighting the persistence of civic unease.
Analysts warned that such pervasive distrust could depress voter turnout or fuel confrontations during next year's mid-term campaigns unless political leaders find ways to restore faith in institutions.
Political violence major problem for US: poll
Political violence major problem for US: poll
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
