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Political violence is escalating on the left, and leaders must call it out
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We keep hearing calls to “encourage thoughtful discourse” and “discourage violent rhetoric.” That’s true, and I have. One political party keeps crossing the line, pretending both parties are equally responsible. In fact, the recent surge in political violence is coming overwhelmingly from the left. If leaders want to promote civility, they need to start with the truth. The truth is that the left has a violence problem.
According to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, left-wing terrorist attacks and plots in the U.S. are on the rise. In fact, left-wing incidents reached their highest levels in decades, surpassing those from the far right. ( CSIS )
That doesn’t mean violence from the right should be excused. It shouldn’t. But we can’t build “thoughtful discourse” on top of false equivalence.
A quick look at what’s recently been happening:
- In Virginia, a Democrat candidate for Attorney General openly threatened violence against his Republican opponent and his children.
- Sitting members of Congress on the left have flirted with or outright encouraged political violence.
- There have been two attempted assassinations of President Trump, an attempted mass shooting of Republican members of Congress that nearly killed Steve Scalise, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and even the assassination of a major health-care executive, all tied to left-wing extremists. What’s worse, all of these have been celebrated by many on the left, after the fact.
That’s not just threats or talk.
Here’s how political leaders, particularly Democrats, should respond.
1. Call it out, directly and by name.
When violence or violent rhetoric comes from your own side, say so. Don’t hide behind buzzwords like “both sides” or “extremists everywhere.” That’s political cowardice. Leadership means naming the problem even when it’s uncomfortable.
2. Stop glamorizing outrage.
Too many Democrats treat the loudest, angriest activists as heroes. Social media mobs are rewarded, not rebuked. Political leaders should draw a clear line between passionate advocacy and violent threats, and stop pretending rage is a virtue.
3. Lead with example, not excuses.
You don’t de-escalate violence by winking at it. Too many political leaders, especially on the left, are afraid of offending the radicals in their own ranks. They tiptoe around the problem instead of confronting it. And every time they look the other way, the temperature rises a little higher.
Civility isn’t weakness, it’s strength. We can highlight the differences between candidates, records, and political party platforms, without calling for the utter demise of our opponents. But it only works if both sides play by the same rules.
If Democrats truly want to discourage violence, they need to start by cleaning up their own house. They need to condemn their own radicals as forcefully as they condemn everyone else’s.
Otherwise, all the talk about “thoughtful discourse” is just that, talk. Because thoughtful discourse doesn’t coexist with threats and intimidation.
Jeff Kaufmann is chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.
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