Political Violence in America is Not a “Both Sides” Problem

America has never been a stranger to political violence, but the assassination of Charlie Kirk is something new and terrifying: a deliberate, targeted strike fueled by over a decade of left-wing radicalization by the mainstream media, online echo chambers, and some radical voices within the Democrat Party itself.

The question is no longer whether violence is a “both sides” issue; it’s whether Democrats and their media allies will finally admit they bear responsibility for the chaos and evil they have fomented that is now wreaking havoc on American society.

Donald Trump sought to put the “both sides” narrative to rest when he stated unequivocally that “the radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious and they’re horrible and they’re politically savvy.” Or, as Vice President JD Vance aptly put it when he hosted Kirk’s show in his honor this week, “If both sides have a problem, one side has a much bigger and malignant problem, and that is the truth we must be told.”

A recent survey conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) confirmed the accuracy of that assertion. The results found that a disproportionate number of people categorized as “left of center” are willing to justify and even applaud killing in the name of politics under the banner of “social justice.”

As a whole, 38 percent of respondents said it would be at least “somewhat justified” to murder Donald Trump, and 31 percent said the same about Elon Musk, which is troubling enough as is. But when only accounting for left-leaning respondents, support for political murder rose to a staggering 55 percent for Trump and 48 percent for Musk.

Another survey from The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression provides further evidence of the growing culture of left-wing radicalization among the populace. Of those surveyed, 93 percent of Baby Boomers said that “using violence to stop speech” is “never” acceptable. 86 percent of Generation X said the same, compared to 71 percent of millennials and just 58 percent of Gen-Zers.

The correlation here is clear: the generations that have been the most bombarded with left-wing activist propaganda from the education system, corporate media, and Hollywood are also the most likely to tolerate political violence.

If anyone doubts that a sizable segment of liberals overwhelmingly approve of murdering their political opponents, their absolute elation over Kirk’s death on social media, and the open talk of which conservative influencers need to be murdered next, should remove all doubt.

But how did we arrive here?

Since Donald Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, leading to the violence that took place on his inauguration day in 2017, the left, including top political figures up to and including President Joe Biden, have relentlessly deployed incendiary language, portraying Trump as “literally Hitler” and his supporters as fascists, Nazis, and existential threats to the Republic.

This calculated framing, amplified by Democrat politicians and mainstream media allies, has effectively dehumanized Trump’s base. Beliefs once considered mainstream by the founding fathers, Teddy Roosevelt, or even the conservatives of merely two decades ago (and many liberals, for that matter), are now deemed outside the bounds of “legitimate” political discourse.

In such a charged climate, violence becomes easily rationalized by those who see themselves as “defenders of democracy” or “anti-fascists,” confident they are on the “right side of history.”

The consequences of the left’s radicalization efforts are stark.

In just the last year, the nation has seen two assassination attempts against former President Trump, church shootings (including the most recent one against Annunciation Catholic School by a deranged trans-identifying individual), and violent protests against immigration enforcement, as well as attacks on police, ICE officers, and even Tesla dealerships.

Yet rhetoric alone does not explain the scale of violence perpetrated by the left and by leftist politicians. Democrat policies have also played a central role in creating unsafe conditions and violence against law-abiding Americans.

While not “political violence” in the traditional sense, the violence experienced by everyday citizens is the direct result of political decision-making and contributes to the overall volatile climate America finds itself in, as the public is continually subjected to injustices under the guise of “criminal justice reform.”

Nationally, open-border policies and lax enforcement have allowed dangerous illegal aliens to move freely, resulting in unspeakable crimes. Locally, blind adherence to “criminal justice reform” and sanctuary city policies has released repeat offenders onto the streets to do the same.

Two recent tragic examples illustrate the stakes. In August, a Ukrainian refugee named Iryna Zarutska was violently stabbed to death on her commute by a man with 14 prior arrests. In another case, an offender in violation of parole gained entry to an elderly married couple’s home, resulting in their brutal murders.

These are not isolated incidents, but the predictable consequences of propaganda and policy that prioritize adherence to social justice ideology over public safety.

Of course, there have been incidents of individual right-wing violence, as liberal commentators eagerly highlight in an effort to distract from the larger reality they never discuss: the left holds a near-monopoly on the institutions that shape public opinion, from the media to academia, Hollywood, and the overwhelming staffing of various government agencies by liberals – despite the Trump administration being in power.

These institutions don’t merely excuse left-wing violence; they actively cultivate it.

Any violence tied to so-called “social justice” is framed as “free speech” or justified as “saving democracy.” The result is not isolated acts, but massive, organized upheavals under banners like Black Lives Matter or decentralized militant movements like Antifa.

No amount of right-wing violence matches the scale, organization, or institutional backing of the 2014 Ferguson riots, the George Floyd riots of 2020, today’s pro-Palestinian street riots, or anti-immigration enforcement violence.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk represents the culmination of years of leftist dehumanization, radical rhetoric, and reckless policies that have normalized violence against conservatives.

If the nation continues to accept the false “both sides” narrative, if Republicans fail to confront this reality with courage, and if Democrats remain shielded from accountability, then Kirk’s death will only be the next step in the continuing assault against anyone who considers themselves conservative.

The only path to peace and the preservation of free and open debate is through acknowledging this reality. America has reached a turning point, a fact that Charlie Kirk understood all too well.

Adam Johnston is a writer whose work has been featured in The Federalist, The Blaze, and the Daily Caller. He is also the creator of the Substack publication “Conquest Theory,” where he regularly writes about politics, history, philosophy, and technology. You can find him on X @ConquestTheory.