Support for Political Violence Among Graduate Degree Holders
Polls indicate that individuals with graduate degrees tend to have a higher inclination towards endorsing political violence. This comes in the wake of an incident involving a man who allegedly attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet last Saturday.
A report by the Center for the Study of Skepticism from 2025 suggests that those with advanced degrees are twice as likely to believe violence is necessary for social change compared to those with less education. The suspect in the recent shooting, Cole Allen, reportedly opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, expressing his objective to kill Trump administration officials. It’s noted that he held a degree in Computer Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Interestingly, only about 23% of people with a high school diploma or less find political violence justifiable. Among individuals who have some college experience or have earned an associate’s degree, this figure stands at around 20%. Those with a bachelor’s degree show a slight increase, with 26% agreeing that violence could be justified. However, a significant 40% of master’s degree holders share the belief that violence can be justified for social change.
In a manifesto sent shortly before the shooting, Allen allegedly stated, “I will no longer allow pedophiles, rapists, and traitors to carry crime on my hands.”
Following the incident, CSUDH confirmed that a Cole Allen graduated with a master’s degree in 2025 but added that they could not verify the association with the suspect. “We unequivocally condemn this act of violence,” the university stated, emphasizing that such actions contradict their values and commitment to a safe environment. They mentioned respecting the ongoing investigation and refrained from further comments.
Allen attended CSUDH from 2022 to 2025, and details about him were available on what seems to be his LinkedIn profile.
In a related context, former university president Thomas Parham remarked in a video that he aimed to “disrupt” and “liberate” rather than allow individuals to remain in a state of “vulnerability,” indicating that he viewed the Trump administration as an example of “residual white supremacy.”
