The shooting on Saturday at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, comes amid heightened domestic support for political violence, including against Trump.
It’s unclear who fired shots at Trump rallies or what political beliefs they held. Trump was safe, according to the Secret Service, but at least one rally attendee and suspected gunman were reportedly killed.
But the moment is sure to exacerbate an already fraught election year, with elected officials facing growing threats and fears of violence.
A University of Chicago survey in late June found that fewer people now support violence against Trump (10%, or 26 million people) than support violence against him (6.9%, or 18 million people) More. As late as January, surveys showed support for violence was more supportive of Trump.
Of the 26 million American adults who support violence to prevent Trump from being re-elected as president, more than 30% own guns, and nearly 80% have access to online organizing tools.
“The anti-Trump sentiment is stronger than the pro-Trump sentiment,” Bob Pape, a professor at the University of Chicago who directs the Chicago Security and Threat Program, said in an interview before Saturday night’s incident.
“So we must be prepared for violence from the left opposing Trump’s rule.”
The rise in support for political violence in the United States comes at a time of extreme partisanship, rampant misinformation on social media and violent rhetoric from Trump and his allies. These factors came together on January 6, 2021, when thousands of people stormed the U.S. Capitol.
According to the survey, originally shared with The Guardian as part of its series on political violence and democratic attitudes, the underlying reasons for support for violence on both sides of the aisle stem from distrust of the establishment and belief in conspiracy theories. .
Supporters of violence on both sides are primarily urban Americans.
The survey also found that 58.6% of American adults believe that in today’s United States, elections cannot solve the country’s most basic political and social issues.
“Trump’s shooting is the result of such strong support for political violence in our country,” Pape said. “We also need to worry. [the] Threats of retaliation against President Biden.
He added: “It is critical that political leaders from both parties and at all levels of government…the President, Senate, House of Representatives, governors and mayors immediately condemn political violence, regardless of which party it originates from.”
The immediate reaction from politicians was largely unanimous. Shortly after the shooting, Joe Biden said in a statement: “This type of violence will not be allowed in America. We must unite as a nation to condemn this act.
barack obama issue a statementsaid: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democratic system.”
“While we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all breathe a sigh of relief that former President Trump was not seriously harmed and use this moment to recommit himself to civility and respect in our politics,” Obama said. “
But political violence in the United States in recent years has taken many forms, including the Jan. 6 insurrection, violent threats and harassment of election officials, and assault attempts against elected officials.
In October 2020, a month before the last presidential election, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping plot. A week after the election, a top executive at Dominion Voting Systems was forced into hiding after his home address and a million-dollar bounty were shared with those who believed the election was stolen.
It’s also easier than ever for those with extreme political beliefs to organize online. According to the National Alliance for Research on Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, most political violence in the United States is perpetrated by people who are not affiliated with any formal organization.
The shooting at Trump’s rally occurred two days before the start of the Republican National Convention, where Trump is scheduled to become the party’s official nominee. Following an assessment by the FBI, Secret Service, Milwaukee Police Department and the Southeastern Wisconsin Threat Analysis Center, the General Assembly asked law enforcement to increase awareness.
A law enforcement source said the review found concerns that the convention could serve as a tool for foreign terrorist organizations, homegrown violent extremists, domestic violent extremist groups, so-called “lone wolf bad guys” and active shooters, CBS News reported. Target.
“We should not be at the height of a political discussion in this country where this is happening,” Joseph, a rally participant and eyewitness to the incident, told CNN on Saturday.
“There is a lot of political violence in this country,” he said. “It just needs to stop.”
