55% of Survey Respondents on Left Say Assassinating Trump ‘Partially Justifiable’

A new study from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers found that "over half of those who self-identified as left of center (55.2%) reported that if someone murdered Donald Trump, they would be at least somewhat justified."

The Details: Nearly 49% of “left-of-center” respondents felt the same for Elon Musk, and 58% felt that destroying Tesla dealerships is “partially acceptable.” The study also found that “Left-Wing Authoritarianism, usage of BlueSky, and support for Luigi Mangione are strongly associated with justification of different acts of violence against Tesla, Trump, and Musk.” 

For Context: The survey polled 1264 U.S. residents, “balanced to reflect Census data on race/ethnicity, gender, age, and education.” Straight Arrow News (Center bias) described the NCRI as “a nonpartisan organization that tracks online extremist hate.” The study didn't list the exact questions respondents were asked, but rather summarized them and respondents' feedback.

How The Media Covered It: AllSides did not find coverage from the left. Straight Arrow News, which highlighted that only sources on the right covered the story, was the only Center-rated source AllSides found coverage from. Some outlets from the right described “left-of-center” respondents as “leftist” in headlines.

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