Political violence

Time - For years, polls have traced a sharp rise in the share of Americans who believe violence is a valid means to achieve their political goals. In a December 2021 survey by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, 1 in 3 respondents said they thought violent action against the government can be justified, compared with fewer than 1 in 10 in the 1990s. In an April PBS/Marist poll, 28% of Republicans and 12% of Democrats said they believe Americans may “have to resort to violence to get the country back on track.” In June, 10% of respondents surveyed by the University of Chicago’s Project on Security and Threats said that the “use of force is justified to prevent Donald Trump from becoming President.”

This trend has coincided with a documented surge in violent threats, harassment, and physical attacks targeting elected and civic officials, from prominent legislators and governors to small-town election clerks and school-board members. The wave of invective and intimidation has hollowed out local institutions, disrupted systems of law and government, drummed dedicated public servants out of office, and deterred others from running, especially women and people of color.

To many Americans, the prospect of political violence has become immediate and visible. More people are bringing guns to demonstrations. Every politically charged event, from Supreme Court decisions to Trump’s trials to congressional hearings, elicits menacing warnings and talk of “civil war.” The last presidential election ended in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by an angry mob that left five people dead and 140 injured. The vibes feel even darker this time, with the same two candidates describing one another as an existential threat to the nation.

Experts in political extremism expected these combustible factors to finally ignite with a high-profile attack. “It’s the manifestation of the political environment we’re in,” says Daryl Johnson, a former senior intelligence analyst who tracked domestic extremism at the Department of Homeland Security. “And there’s gonna be more.”