Political Violence Surges as the Use of Force Becomes Mainstream
Americans, especially on the left, are growing tolerant of using force to achieve ideological goals.
The apparent attempted murder over the weekend of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro with an arson attack is, unfortunately, only part of the wave of political violence sweeping over the country. Recent months have seen assassinations and attempted killings, attacks on political headquarters, arson against Tesla cars and dealers, and other acts that make it clear that some people have gone beyond hardened political hostilities to assaults on people and property. Worse, Americans—especially those on the political left—seem increasingly open to violence as a means of settling ideological disputes.
You are reading The Rattler from J.D. Tuccille and Reason. Get more of J.D.'s commentary on government overreach and threats to everyday liberty.
Political Violence Is 'Becoming Far Too Common'
"Last night we experienced an attack not just on our family but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania here at the governor's residence," Governor Shapiro, a Democrat, said after the governor's mansion in Harrisburg was set ablaze with Molotov cocktails. "We don't know the person's specific motive yet, but we do know a few truths. First, this type of violence is not okay. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society, and I don't give a damn if it's coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another."
We've since learned more about Cody Balmer, who has been charged with the attack. He hates Shapiro, and before the attack "appeared to share anti-capitalist and anarchist posts on his Facebook," according to the U.K.'s The Times. Those included "a picture of an embroidery hoop featuring a hand-stitched flaming Molotov cocktail and the words 'Be the light you want to see in the world.'" The attack occurred at the beginning of Passover and Shapiro is Jewish, though it's unknown if that played a role.
Balmer also appears to be mentally unwell. That's not uncommon for people who try to set the world to their vision of right by hurting or killing people who disagree with them.
From Torching Teslas to Swatting
The choice of incendiary devices for the attack is a trendy one at the moment. An Albuquerque man, Jamison Wagner, was arrested and charged this week in connection with attacks on the headquarters of the Republican Party of New Mexico and a Tesla dealership.
Tesla vehicles and properties have been popular targets since Tesla head Elon Musk helped establish the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut government size and expense. Tesla superchargers have been torched, dealerships shot up and set ablaze, vehicles vandalized, and drivers harassed. All this is in protest of efforts to shrink government.
In recent months we've also seen a less explicitly violent, but still potentially lethal, surge in swatting attacks—bogus crime reports meant to draw police response to a targeted person's home.
"I want to address the alarming rise in 'Swatting' incidents targeting media figures," FBI Director Kash Patel commented on March 14. "The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable."
Swatting can be and has been lethal if police open fire on awakened and unsuspecting residents.
CNN reported that "almost all the influencers who have publicized their recent swattings are conservative supporters of President Donald Trump. Many have also interacted with top Trump adviser and donor Elon Musk on X over the years, with Musk either replying to them or reposting their X posts."
That's an incomplete list of incidents just since the beginning of this year. If we go back to last year, we have two assassination attempts against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by—allegedly—a man who has since become a cult figure, a Democratic campaign office shot up in Arizona, and plenty more. Suffice to say that political relations in this country have been nasty for a while and are getting worse.
Political scientists have argued for years that the right is more prone to violence than the left. That always seemed a dubious claim subject more to the period selected for examination than any inherent disposition. It certainly has not been true in the U.S. since Republicans won the 2024 elections.
A Growing 'Assassination Culture' on the Left
Writing for the Brookings Institution in January, senior fellow Dana R. Fisher reported that participants in the anti-Trump People's March were surprisingly open to violence to achieve their political goals.
"A third of participants at the People's March (33%) reported that they believed that 'because things have gotten so far off track, Americans may have to resort to violence in order to save our country," Fisher wrote. She noted that the numbers represented a shift over time toward acceptance of violence on the left to the point where it met and exceeded similar attitudes on the right.
In March, after similar (35 percent) support for violence at the Stand Up for Science Rally, Fisher commented that "left-leaning Americans participating in peaceful, legally permitted demonstrations are starting to believe that political violence will be necessary to save America."
Last week, a report from the Network Contagion Research Institute and the Rutgers University Social Perception Lab warned that "a broader 'assassination culture' appears to be emerging within segments of the U.S. public on the extreme left, with expanding targets now including figures such as Donald Trump and Elon Musk." According to survey results in the report, "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…. Similar proportions supported murdering Musk and destroying Tesla dealerships."
An earlier report published in December 2024 had found that fans of Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of Brian Thompson, are cheering each other on through social media platforms and communications, "creating widespread cultural shifts that lower moral boundaries for targeted violence against political, social, or class enemies."
After years of growing tension in the United States and demonization by partisans of those who disagree with them, the use of violence to punish political enemies and as a tool for achieving ideological goals is becoming more mainstream. The people who embrace violence then reinforce similar attitudes in others who share their ideological beliefs, making acceptance of violence even more common.
Unsurprisingly, the market for insurance against political violence is surging along with the risk.
Josh Shapiro survived the attempt against his life. We'll see if the country will be equally lucky.
