A recent poll has revealed that a worrying number of young Americans believe that political violence can sometimes be justified. More than a third of individuals under 45 expressed this view, as found in a survey conducted by Politico/Public First.
This perspective among younger people—nearly 24% feel political violence is acceptable in certain situations—is notably higher than the general population’s sentiments, which are about 10 percentage points lower.
Details about the survey’s cross-tabulations weren’t released, but it appears there was minimal partisan disagreement on this topic. While 64% of voters overall dismissed political violence as never acceptable, the reasons behind these views are concerning.
Surveyed between October 18 and 21, this data comes just after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and several months post the murder of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her spouse.
This alarming feedback follows a rise in political violence, particularly during the 2024 campaign, which included two assassination attempts against former President Trump and an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence.
Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, reflected on the results, stating that it seems there’s growing acceptance of political violence among the general public. He suggested that this normalization could make it more acceptable to those already unstable.
Interestingly, while younger voters showed some tolerance toward political violence, many older voters seemed more concerned. Close to 49% of voters aged 18 to 34 anticipated that political violence might increase, whereas 61% of those 55 and older shared this expectation.
Overall, 55% of Americans predict politically motivated violence will rise. Interestingly, a smaller proportion of Trump voters (50%) expected this increase compared to those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris (61%). Notably, those with a very negative perception of the presidency were the most inclined to foresee an uptick in political violence, with 76% affirming this belief.
