The third attempt on Trump’s life this spring reignited debate over a new era of political violence. Dartmouth professor Sean Westwood, who tracks violent incidents and public sentiment, said recent cases—an assassination attempt on the former president, the killings of activist Charlie Kirk and Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman—are isolated compared with the flurry of assassinations in the 1860s‑70s. Their shock value fuels fear.

Westwood’s surveys, begun in 2016, show public support for political violence hovering around 2% across party lines. The figure has stayed flat for five years, with Republicans briefly dipping to near zero after the 2024 attempt on Trump. A minority willing to tolerate violence persists, but the broader electorate does not view it as a viable political tool.

When Westwood compares political attacks to other hate crimes, the disparity is stark: roughly three dozen politically motivated incidents since 2020 versus more than 9,000 religious hate crimes and 25,000 racial hate crimes in the same period. He argues that policy focus should target these larger, ideologically driven significant spikes rather than the relatively rare lone‑wolf assaults that dominate headlines.