Minneapolis — A majority of Americans are concerned about political violence in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 87% of respondents were concerned people would turn to violence instead of peacefully resolving their differences. The poll was conducted on Tuesday, just days after a shooting at a Trump rally on Saturday left one person dead and injured the former president.
of The investigation continues The perpetrator and his motive are unknown. Elected officials Regardless of political stance He condemned the shooting. President Biden, in an Oval Office speech on Sunday, said political discourse needed to “calm down,” a sentiment echoed by others.
Howard Lavin, a professor of political science and psychology at the University of Minnesota, is skeptical that the political tone will change significantly and lastingly.
“You’re no longer my political opponent, and I’m not going to compromise on policies that benefit the people and the electorate as a whole. You’re now my political opponent,” Rabin said. “My political opponent may be an enemy of the state. That kind of statement is pretty extreme.”
He noted that such violence is not new in the country’s history and remains rare, but he cited opinion polls. Shows that some Americans believe in the use of force It is justified to achieve political objectives.
“The idea that violence may be necessary to maintain democracy and law and order is more widely accepted today than it was 10 or 15 years ago,” he said.
Department of Homeland Security and The FBI report was obtained by CBS News. He warned law enforcement that a wave of online threats following Saturday’s shooting could lead to retaliatory violence.
Minnesota State Police have “enhanced security” for Gov. Tim Walz in light of this weekend’s assassination attempt on President Trump and this week’s Republican National Convention, a spokesman said in an email.
Walz was in Milwaukee on Wednesday to present a counterprogram to the event on behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the U.S. Capitol Police announced in a press release that they investigated more than 8,000 threat assessment cases in 2023. Lawmakers from both parties have received “widespread threats and concerning rhetoric.”
Liz Waldner, a sociology professor at the University of St. Thomas who studies extremism, said elected officials should set an example by engaging in civil debate, and while a pledge to refrain from political rhetoric is important, it’s unlikely that individuals who need to receive the message will hear it.
“Extremists don’t listen to traditional media. They don’t trust traditional media, so they get their information from a variety of different platforms, including chat rooms and extremist blogs,” Waldner said. “And these groups are not going to tone down their rhetoric.”
