Blaming Half the Country Won’t Solve Political Violence; Extremism Isn’t a Partisan Issue
In the wake of the recent assassination attempts on Donald Trump, we’ve seen the familiar cycle of the blame game. Instead of focusing on the individuals responsible for these violent acts, many are turning their ire toward an entire political group, accusing Democrats and liberals of creating an environment that condones such extremism. This line of thinking, while emotionally charged, is deeply flawed. Political violence is not the product of one side of the aisle — it’s a problem that has plagued both the left and the right, and it’s time to stop assigning collective blame and instead address the root causes of extremism.
History is littered with violent acts committed by individuals motivated by radical beliefs, and these extremists hail from both sides of the political spectrum. No political ideology has a monopoly on violence.
In the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy McVeigh was a right-wing extremist who killed 168 people and injured hundreds more in an act of domestic terrorism aimed at the U.S. government. He was fueled by anti-government conspiracy theories and resentment towards federal law enforcement following the Waco Siege. McVeigh’s actions shocked the nation, but no reasonable person would claim that every conservative or libertarian American was responsible for his heinous crime.
James Hodgkinson, opened fire on Republican members of Congress during a 2017 baseball practice, gravely injuring Representative Steve Scalise. Hodgkinson was politically motivated, angered by Donald Trump’s presidency, and held deeply anti-Republican views. While Hodgkinson acted alone, his violence was immediately politicized, with some pointing fingers at Democratic rhetoric. However, just as conservatives were not responsible for McVeigh’s actions, it would be absurd to blame all Democrats for Hodgkinson’s attack.
Even more recently, we witnessed the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, by a man fueled by far-right conspiracy theories. This act of violence was quickly trivialized by some, including Trump Jr, who mockingly posted an image of a hammer and underwear, making light of the brutal assault. This is a very dangerous normalization of violent rhetoric, romanticizes it, and inspires copycat behavior.
It’s also worth noting that the rise of inflammatory political rhetoric is contributing to this environment of extremism. Donald Trump himself has shared violent imagery and rhetoric, such as posting a picture of President Joe Biden bound and gagged in the back of a pickup truck. While this might be dismissed as “just a joke” by some, it normalizes violence against political opponents. Trump isn’t the only one guilty of this. On the left, we’ve seen public figures express hostility toward Trump and his supporters in ways that could be perceived as encouraging violence. Madonna once said during a speech that she’d thought about “blowing up the White House” after Trump’s election.
Both sides have their fringe elements, and it’s those elements — the extremists themselves — that are responsible for their actions, not the millions of Americans who happen to vote for a particular party.
In most acts of violence, like mass shootings, we hear arguments about the shooter’s mental state, and many point to the failure of authorities to intervene. Yet, when these recent assassination attempts happened, instead of focusing on the extremists responsible for their own actions, many chose to blame the left. Where’s the conversation about mental illness and isolation in these cases? Why aren’t we discussing how individuals are being radicalized online, across both ends of the political spectrum? After all, in the case of school shootings, it’s common to hear arguments about how red flag laws could have prevented violence, or how the individual was known to be troubled but no one intervened. The same level of scrutiny should apply here.
We must start by acknowledging that extremism is a bipartisan issue, and the solution lies in addressing the root causes of radicalization: isolation, mental illness, and an increasingly polarized media landscape that stokes fear and anger. We should also hold our political leaders accountable for the rhetoric they use. When someone in power jokes about violence, whether it’s Trump mocking the attack on Pelosi or a celebrity making explosive remarks about the White House, it sends a signal that violence is acceptable. And that signal can be dangerous.
Political violence has no place in a democracy. To move forward, we must stop blaming entire political groups for the actions of extremists and focus on creating a society where violence isn’t seen as a solution to political differences.
As one of the world’s most influential nations, the United States sets an example — whether we like it or not. Our political actions and divisions are on full display for the entire world to see. When we tear ourselves apart from within, it’s not just our own democracy that suffers. Other countries take note of our instability, using it to exploit our weaknesses. This deep division opens the door to election interference, undermines our global standing, and puts us in greater danger as a nation.
It’s time to stop fighting in front of the world, like parents bickering in front of their children. This internal chaos sends a signal that we’re vulnerable, that our values and institutions can be easily manipulated. If we are to maintain a position of strength and integrity, both at home and abroad, we must start by addressing the division that threatens our unity. The stakes are too high for us to continue down this path of infighting and blame. Only by coming together, and holding individuals — not entire political groups — accountable for violence and extremism, can we restore stability and ensure our future security.
