As Election Day nears, security experts are raising alarms about the potential for political violence in the weeks following the event. A recent nationwide pollconducted by Robert Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, highlights troubling attitudes toward the use of violence in American politics.
The poll found that 8% of respondents believe that the use of force is justified to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president. Among those who support this view, one-third indicated that they own firearms. Conversely, 6% of those surveyed expressed support for using force to restore Trump to the presidency, with half of this 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 political outcomes following Election Day. Alarmingly, the poll also revealed that 8% of respondents would prefer their candidate to win by any means necessary, even if it involves violence.
Pape noted that this growing acceptance of political violence is a concerning trend.
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“This violent populism is becoming our new normal,” Pape said. “It is these violent protests which can emerge very rapidly and also these lone wolf attacks which can appear almost out of nowhere.” He added that there is a “prescription to be concerned that the election — not just on Election Day itself, but in the aftermath and really for several months—could be quite a tinderbox.”
Further research supports these findings. A report from the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis revealed that nearly 14% of Americans strongly believe a civil war could occur in the United States within the next few years.
Additionally, nearly 8% of respondents indicated they believe political violence could soon be justified and expressed intentions to arm themselves.
Pape emphasized the dangers of this environment, warning, “The prospect of these violent mobs can be enormously painful, disruptive, and dangerous. And then also the lone wolf essentially domestic terrorists or lone wolf attacks. Together, that is, believe me, plenty bad enough. I call it violent populism, and this is what we need to expect in the next few months—and I suspect for a few years.”
These statistics underscore the urgent need for a reassessment of the current political climate and its implications for public safety and democratic discourse. Experts are calling for a renewed focus on de-escalation strategies and community dialogue to tackle the underlying issues contributing to the rising acceptance of violence in political discourse.
As tensions heighten in the lead-up to the election, the potential for unrest remains a significant concern for officials and citizens alike.
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