Data Shows Concerns Over Political Violence In America

Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) will chair a Judiciary subcommittee hearing on politically violent attacks on October 28.

The Details: Schmitt, in the announcement for the upcoming subcommittee meeting cited the assassination of Charlie Kirk as "the latest in a long list of examples of left-wing political violence" saying he "look[s] forward to getting the American people the answers they deserve about the realities of left-wing political violence."

The Data: PolitiFact (Lean Left bias) cited a study on political violence by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) showing that in 2025 "left-wing terrorist attacks outnumbers those from the violent far-right." However, the study also noted that this is the first instance where this is the case for the last 30 years, saying "The rise in left-wing attacks merits increased attention, but the fall in right-wing attacks is probably temporary, and it too requires a government response."  

Age of Political Violence: The editorial board for The Free Press (Lean Right) suggested that "threats of violence against public figures are now so commonplace that they barely make the front page." The editors noted that in the 48 hours prior to writing their article, Christopher Moynihan, who was arrested for his involvement in the January 6 US Capitol riot and later pardoned by President Donald Trump, was arrested again for threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Nicholas Ray, a 28-year-old from Texas was also arrested for making death threats against conservative media figures in Florida, "including Free Press contributors Seth Dillon and Josh Hammer." Following the Kirk murder six weeks ago, the editors said, "any sense that his assassination might shock the country into a turn away from political violence and violent political rhetoric has already faded." The article stressed that "lawmakers have a responsibility to lower the temperature and return us to a degree of political civility," yet apart from a few examples, "have not shown themselves up to the task." The editors decried Trump’s utilization of "Kirk's assassination to help justify a crackdown on his political opponents," while at the same time denouncing the years of polarizing rhetoric from the left aimed at Trump and others on the right, saying "if you refer to a politician as someone who would destroy American democracy, it logically follows that that person should be stopped by any means necessary." No matter how great our disagreements become, the editors asserted that "we must realize our opponents aren’t some alien threat, but our fellow Americans."

You Can Take Action: As political violence escalates in America and free societies around the world, AllSides and Newsweek (Center bias) are partnering to host a National Roundtable on Political Violence on November 6. Sign up today to join thousands of participants in live video conversations.   

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