Americans have just recovered – mostly – from Independence Day celebrations. While the Civil War was the most serious example of political violence in the nation’s history in terms of lives lost, the American Revolution was the most significant and, for those who consider themselves patriots, the most justified. While scattered acts of political violence have been a constant feature in America from the time of its birth as a sovereign nation, there has been a marked uptick since the George Floyd riots of 2020. There also has been a notable increase in the encouragement of such behavior on the part of lawmakers and other influential figures.
Most people on the political left, as well as a few on the right, like to claim political violence is a “both sides” issue, though there is scant evidence to back this up. And it does appear that at least some elected Democrats are having a “come to Jesus” moment, disclosing that more of their supporters are growing increasingly angry and frustrated to the point of demanding violent confrontation in response to Republican political control.
Axios reported on July 7 that some House Democrats “see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law.”
Read that again and think back to Jan. 6, 2021. It sounds very familiar – but, back then, Democrats claimed such sentiment was insurrectionist, if not treasonous. A disregard for American institutions and political traditions? Oh, the horror!
But it’s not the same situation. On that famous, or perhaps infamous, day, the sum total of damage to America was some broken windows at the Capitol, ransacked offices, torn-down police barriers, and injuries to police officers. For sure, a few people died – which was tragic – but not as a direct result of violence, except in the case of Ashli Babbitt, the unarmed Trump supporter shot dead by police.
The Left Escalates Political Violence
That pales in comparison to the billions of dollars in damage caused by left-wing activists during various protests and riots since 2020. Not to mention the left’s multiple attempted, or at least planned, political assassinations since a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) opened fire on Republican lawmakers in 2017, almost killing Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA).
Since then, leftists have attempted to murder Republican-nominated Supreme Court justices and, on two occasions in 2024, came very close to assassinating then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
All the while, some Democratic lawmakers have constantly used incendiary rhetoric and encouraged, if not direct violence, at least harassment of Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials. On a few occasions, these lawmakers have themselves carried out the harassing.
With a Republican administration in Washington, federal agents have now also become targets of political violence. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, widely demonized in the most extreme terms by certain Democrats, are the victims of a skyrocketing number of assaults. On July 7, a gunman in tactical gear ambushed ICE agents at their facility in McAllen, TX. One police officer was hit but was said to be in stable condition. Federal agents returned fire, killing the assailant.
As for death threats against Republican lawmakers, President Trump himself, and administration officials – posted online or communicated via letter, email, or phone call – they are too numerous to catalog at this point. People wearing Trump’s signature red Make America Great Again ball cap have been assaulted or threatened in public.
Democratic Lawmakers Reveal the Truth
Multiple Democrats (reportedly, more than two dozen) told Axios that some of their supporters want elected party members to step up the “resistance,” so to speak – even going so far as demanding that “there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public," as one anonymous lawmaker put it.
Another Democrat confided, “People online have sent me crazy s--t ... told me to storm the White House and stuff like that, " while yet another revealed, "What I have seen is a demand that we get ourselves arrested intentionally or allow ourselves to be victims of violence,” adding that “a lot of times that's coming from economically very secure white people." One House Democrat had a similar story. "Some of them have suggested ... what we really need to do is be willing to get shot.”
So, it seems at least a portion of those demanding political violence have no intention of putting themselves in harm’s way. Rather, they appear to want to see their elected representatives martyr themselves – getting locked up, injured, or even shot -- to somehow swing the nation against what the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are doing.
In April 2025, a left-winger firebombed the governor’s residence in Pennsylvania because he was angry with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s support for Israel. This shows that even Democratic politicians are not safe from the radical left’s violent tendencies, should they stray from the progressive crusade du jour. A hallmark of extremist movements throughout history has been a willingness to sacrifice or turn on their own, because, for them, the ends always justify the means.
Tyrant Trump to Blame – Of Course
The disturbing thing about all this is that the Democrats who spoke up – and the subtext of the article published by left-leaning Axios echoed the narrative – seemed to be suggesting that all the frustration and calls for more violent responses were, at least to an extent, understandable.
On the one hand, they say, many Democratic voters do not comprehend that their party has very little legislative clout, being the minority in both chambers of Congress and not having the White House. On the other, a reckless disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law on the part of President Trump and the Republicans is driving scared and desperate people to extremes. That was the implication, at least.
"We've got people who are desperately wanting us to do something ... no matter what we say, they want [more]," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL). Another Democrat described a "sense of fear and despair and anger" and said this sentiment "puts us in a different position where ... we can't keep following norms of decorum."
One House lawmaker claimed constituents expressed that "civility isn't working" and they should prepare for "violence ... to fight to protect our democracy."
So, this is the tactic or perhaps just the excuse for growing left-wing political violence: that voters are scared and angry, so much so that respecting the norms, protocols, and relative civility of Washington politics is no longer an option. There’s more violence to come, but it’s really all Trump’s fault – he pushed them to it.
This is likely not going to play well for Democrats. Clearly, American progressives are not being targeted, stripped of their rights, oppressed, or snatched off the street by government stormtroopers. Obviously, the ones rioting and targeting federal agents are being dealt with, but that’s hardly authoritarian police-state behavior. And while the authorities take action to stem civil unrest, there has been no reciprocity from the right, save for a few examples of people defending themselves. Unless Trump’s elected political opponents stop making excuses and start unequivocally condemning the political violence escalating on their side, things could go too far – and we could then see a level of domestic conflict no reasonable American would want or imagine.
