As election day approaches, the threat of political violence increases

As Election Day approaches, security experts warn of the possibility of political violence in the weeks following the event. A recent national survey conducted by Robert Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, shows troubling attitudes toward the use of force in American politics.

The poll found that 8% of respondents believe the use of force to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president is justified. Of those who held this view, a third reported owning firearms. Conversely, 6% of respondents expressed support for using force to return Trump to the presidency, with half of that group also reporting gun ownership.

A new Scripps News poll conducted in partnership with IPSOS found that 62% of Americans believe there will be violence related to the political results after Election Day. Shockingly, the poll also found that 8% of respondents would prefer their candidate to win at any cost, even if it involves violence.

Pape noted that this growing acceptance of political violence is a worrying trend.

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“This violent populism is becoming our new normal,” Pape said. “It’s these violent protests that can emerge very quickly, and also these lone wolf attacks that can appear almost out of nowhere.” He added that there is “a recipe for worrying about the election – not just on election day itself, but afterwards and indeed for several months – could be quite a powder keg.

Further research supports these results. A report from the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis found that nearly 14% of Americans strongly believe there could be a civil war in the United States in the next few years.

In addition, almost 8% of respondents said that political violence could soon be justified and expressed an intention to arm themselves.

Emphasizing the dangers of this environment, Pape warned: “The prospect of these violent mobs can be enormously painful, disruptive and dangerous.” And then also the “lone wolves,” essentially domestic terrorists or “lone wolf” attacks. Taken together, believe me, it’s bad enough. I call it violent populism, and that’s what we’ll have to expect in the next few months – and I suspect for a few years to come.”

These statistics underscore the urgent need to reassess the current political climate and its impact on public safety and democratic discourse. Experts are calling for a renewed focus on de-escalation strategies and social dialogue to address the underlying issues that contribute to the increasing acceptance of violence in political discourse.

As tensions rise in the run-up to the election, the potential for unrest remains a major concern for officials and citizens alike.

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