Political violence has reached alarming levels In the United States over the past few years
January 6, 2021, Riots at the US Capitol, Attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husbandAnd the multiple assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump are examples of America’s increasingly polarized and dangerous environment.
Now, the 2024 election could create another tension, especially if Trump loses. There has already been talk of violence among right-wing extremists online spikedAnd unlike Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump refused to say he would concede.
The survey shows a Tight race There have been suggestions between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris that, as in 2020, results could be decided by narrow margins in some battleground states. Trump is prompting Republican voters to reject the results if he comes up short Unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in Pennsylvania And Non-citizens are voting in large numbers. Billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk has created a platform on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, for users to “Share potential cases of voter fraud or irregularities You see, it’s time to vote in the 2024 election.”
Those strategies seem to be working. If Trump loses, nearly a quarter of Republicans say they think he should do whatever it takes to make sure he becomes president, according to a September PRRI Poll.
This may include resorting to violence. Among Republicans who don’t believe Biden’s victory in 2020 is legitimate, nearly one-third say August vote by the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University that they expected “much” or “significant” political violence after the November elections. more Recent Polls Similar results were obtained with an Oct AP-NORC Poll It found 27 percent of Republicans, and 42 percent of voters overall, were “extremely” or “very” worried about post-election violence.
All this has put law enforcement and national security officials on high alert for political violence before and after the elections. Earlier this month a joint division of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI intelligence Bulletin said that domestic extremists on January 20 “threaten violence against various targets directly and indirectly linked to the election, at least through the inauguration of the President”.
What kind of political violence can break out?
Some incidents of political violence have already been recorded in the run up to election day.
Ballot in mailbox and drop box massachusetts, Arizona, Washington and Oregon Suspected arson was damaged. DHS warned that this could happen, based on comments made online in domestic violence extremist circles. in a series Safety Bulletin In the past few months, the agency noted, “some threat actors may perceive ballot drop boxes as ‘soft targets’ because they are more accessible” and some of these actors discussed different methods to harm them.
There was also a man Accused of terrorism and gun charges Shootings have been reported at the Democratic National Committee office in Phoenix three times since September.
Things can get worse from here. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco did to warn that the United States “is facing an unprecedented level and growing threat of violence against government officials.”
According to DHS BulletinThere is a “higher risk” that domestic violent extremists may “attempt to start a civil war”. This type of chat has become increasingly common in online spaces often by right-wing extremist groups. That said, the DHS noted that the prosecution of those involved in the January 6 uprising and potential false flag operations designed to entrap them could serve as a deterrent.
Law enforcement officials across the country are bracing for the possibility of an increase, especially in Democratic population centers. For example, campaign headquarters in Detroit are reportedly fortified with bulletproof glass and will be guarded by armed guards after Trump supporters try. Ballot counting interrupted 2020 by chanting “Stop Counting” and banging on windows. Election workers in Philadelphia Count the ballots in a warehouse Miles away from where the protesters gathered in 2020, surrounded by a barbed wire fence.
Ultimately, however, these preparations may not be enough to quell domestic violent extremist activity while Republican leaders are fueling skepticism about the integrity of elections and are known to make secret plans To secure Trump’s second term.
“It’s important to be aware of the potential for violence and harm in the institutions we rely on,” retired Gen. Joseph Votel, a member of the executive board of the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. . “But it is insufficient in the face of legislative actions open to broad interpretation, powerful political discourse dominating the public information space, and imperfect individuals acting on their oaths.”
