Academia, Politics

Age of Rage: 26 Million Americans Believe Political Violence is Justified

A poll released by the University of Chicago via the Chicago Project on Security and Threats offers a chilling account of the growing radicalism in America, particularly after the second foiled assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump, the poll found that 26 million Americans believe “the use of force” is justified to keep Trump from regaining the presidency.

As discussed in my book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” we have seen an increasing level of rage rhetoric in our political system. For some, violent language can become violent action. There is a normalization that can occur as extreme actions become more acceptable to more and more citizens:

“We are living in an age of rage. It permeates every aspect of our society and politics. Rage is liberating, even addictive. It allows us to say and do things that we would ordinarily avoid, even denounce in others. Rage is often found at the farthest extreme of reason. For those who agree with the underlying message, it is righteous and passionate. For those who disagree, it is dangerous and destabilizing.”

With the unrelenting claims of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and others that democracy is about to die in America, some now feel a license to commit criminal acts in the name of “saving democracy.”

It is the ultimate form of self-delusion that one saves democracy by committing political violence against those with whom you disagree.

We have seen this radicalism spread in past years from higher education into society at large.

Years ago, many of us were shocked by the conduct of University of Missouri communications professor Melissa Click who directed a mob against a student journalist covering a Black Lives Matter event. Yet, Click was hired by Gonzaga University. Since that time, we have seen a steady stream of professors joining students in shouting down, committing property damage, participating in riots, verbally attacking students, or even taking violent action in protests.

It is now common to hear inflammatory language from professors advocating “detonating white people,” denouncing police, calling for Republicans to suffer,  strangling police officers, celebrating the death of conservatives, calling for the killing of Trump supporters, supporting the murder of conservative protesters and other outrageous statements.

At the University of Rhode Island, professor Erik Loomis defended the murder of a conservative protester and said that he saw “nothing wrong” with such acts of violence.

At the University of California Santa Barbara, professors actually rallied around feminist studies associate professor Mireille Miller-Young, who physically assaulted pro-life advocates and tore down their display.  Despite pleading guilty to criminal assault, she was not fired and received overwhelming support from the students and faculty. She was later honored as a model for women advocates.

At Hunter College in New York, Professor Shellyne Rodríguez was shown trashing a pro-life display of students.

She was captured on a videotape telling the students that “you’re not educating s–t […] This is f–king propaganda. What are you going to do, like, anti-trans next? This is bulls–t. This is violent. You’re triggering my students.”

Unlike the professor, the students remained calm and respectful. One even said “sorry” to the accusation that being pro-life was triggering for her students.

Rodríguez continued to rave, stating, “No you’re not — because you can’t even have a f–king baby. So you don’t even know what that is. Get this s–t the f–k out of here.” In an Instagram post, she is then shown trashing the table.

Hunter College, however, did not consider this unhinged attack to be sufficient to terminate Rodríguez.

It was only after she later chased reporters with a machete that the college fired Rodríguez. She was then hired by another college.

Another recent example comes from the State University of New York at Albany, where sociology professor Renee Overdyke shut down a pro-life display and then resisted arrest. One student is heard screaming, “She’s a [expletive] professor.” That of course is the point.

While Democratic leaders have condemned the second assassination attempt on Trump, they have continued the unhinged rhetoric of how this may be our last election and democracy is about to die in America.

At the same time, some leaders have allied themselves with violent groups.

We have continued to follow the attacks and arrests of Antifa followers across the country, including attacks on journalists.

Some Democrats have played a dangerous game in supporting or excusing the work of Antifa, one of the most violent anti-free speech groups in the world. Former Democratic National Committee deputy chair Keith Ellison, now the Minnesota attorney general, once said Antifa would “strike fear in the heart” of Trump. This was after Antifa had been involved in numerous acts of violence and its website was banned in Germany.

Ellison’s son, Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison, declared his allegiance to Antifa in the heat of violent protests. During a prior hearing, Democratic senators refused to clearly denounce Antifa and falsely suggested that the far right was the primary cause of recent violence. Likewise, Joe Biden has dismissed objections to Antifa as just “an idea.”

These politicians are playing a dangerous game in toying with groups like Antifa, which will not stop at threatening their opponents. Politicians like Ellison could easily find themselves the next target as groups seek to “strike fear in the heart” of the establishment.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster).

409 thoughts on “Age of Rage: 26 Million Americans Believe Political Violence is Justified”

  1. Antifa are annoying people. But the real perpetrators of evil are the 1) the unseen leaders of the Democratic Party in Washington DC who decide the politically-acceptable rhetorical tropes (“the Party Line”) and 2) the obediant media institutions that propagate the Party Line. When media reaches into every corner of American life 24/7, and when they speak with near unanimity, it becomes easy over time to convince foolish people like Routh that it is brave and honorable to murder Trump.

    1. edwardmahl,
      Well said.
      The real problem is there are so many weak minded people who believe everything on MSM as the truth. How many more Routh’s are out there watching and hanging on to every word Rachel Maddow udders.

        1. “hanging”, “udders” and “Rachel Maddow” in the same sentence.

          Seems appropriate to me.

    1. “World War II started out with political violence.”

      WWI as well. Some Austrian archduke named Ferdinand got whacked, as I recall.

  3. Turley magats: the most Google searched terms on trump today?

    Eating pets
    Eating dogs
    Eating cats

    Now, my magats, this isn’t favorable news, let’s just clarify that.

      2. You cannot even read, idiot. The “26million’ is the number who would justify violence to stop Trump from presidency.

    3. Seeing as the media mostly leans Dem these days,
      it’s better for them to get people meme-ing about cats & dogs
      than talking about things like less war, better economy, etc.

    4. * imagine you’re a citizen of a small town USA like Springfield. 15 to 20 thousand Haitians are dropped in your town. That’s 25 % in that small town. There’s a language barrier, no resources, nothing. The temporary migrants can’t even read the English road signs.

      The citizens of Springfield do have a right to be consulted. Is this their first choice of growth? Rents went up and citizens had to move. Citizens have a right , an expectation that immigration law enforcement is in place. It’s simply not there. 20 thousand people just dropped in…

      Springfield was more than poorly treated and no doubt in some fear. 20 thousand unknowns could cause much violence if poorly received? No doubt Aiden Clarke’s father didn’t want attention.

      You’re the maggot…Aiden Clarke would absolutely be alive today but for this lawless policy.

  4. Joe Biden is directly responsible for the murder of twelve hundred Jews. The money to buy the weapons that killed the Jews came from Iran. Iran was broke under Trump. Obama released 150 billion dollars to Iran that had been held by sanctions. Biden was right there when the deal was made. Their excuse was that it was Iran’s money anyway. Palestine has oil reserves that have never been developed so Hamas relies on support from Iran to buy the rockets that it shoots from the rooftops of the schools at Israel. The concrete tunnels in Gaza are built with money provided by Iran. Despite sanctions Iran was supported by the leaders of the Democratic party. Violence if necessary is a common theme.

    1. Actually, the IDF is directly responsible for falling down so miserably in protecting their border. They even had direct intelligence of the specifics of the Hamas attack for about a year, choosing to ignore the intelligence because it was primarily developed by women in their ranks.

      2. Anonymous 11:19 am- The IDF is not perfect. They also missed the preparations of the Egyptians and Syrians in the Yom Kippur war of 1973. That was the closet the modern state of Israel came to complete defeat. They were also surprised by the efficacy of the Egyptian anti tank missiles and the anti aircraft missiles which caused huge losses in planes and armor. Only a massive airlift by the US to Israel, a heroic stand by a few tanks on the Golan heights and the Egyptians leaving their antiaircraft cover allowing the Israeli’s to counter attack and cross the Suez Canal from East to West and threaten encirclement of the Egyptian forces on the West Bank saved their bacon.
        All you have to do is fail once or twice. We failed twice on the World Trade Center and it caused us 3000 + lives.
        Stalin ignored intelligence from the British and his own people and lost millions in 1941.
        And then their was Pearl Harbor.

        1. Female intelligence was ignored around 9/11 too. A female FBI agent in Mineapolis came across 9/11 plans, tried to alert the CIA and military intelligence and was also promptly ignored.

  5. At first blush, this story is very disturbing – and should be. Considering the text of Turley’s message and seeing how isolated this problem is, one is comforted that the 26 million people in this cohort represent only 7 percent of the American population. Ironically, the 7 percent incentivizes the other 93 percent of Americans to elect Trump and, hopefully, put an end to this nonsense. This gives that 7 percent a Pogo-like existence which should make their lives even more miserable knowing that their aims and aspirations are counterproductive. Each of the anecdotes mentioned by Turley as well as each Antifa demonstration is, in effect, a proxy rally for Trump. Even many people who do not like Trump do not like violence more and will hold their noses and vote for him to stop this erosion of our republic. Now that’s real democracy!

    1. JJC,
      That is a brilliant observation. Like looking at all the crazy the leftists endorse is a reason not to vote for Trump but to vote against the crazy.

    2. The largest party is now independent. At least they knew enough to get away from child porn and mutilation. Did I mention Rose Montoya?

  6. Will wonders never cease. Chuck Schumer has said that we need to tone down the rhetoric. This is after he said that Gorsuch and Alito will reap the whirlwind. Soon after his comment an attempt to murder Gorsuch happened. Schumer knows full well that there is a nut case out there who will take him at his word. I believe that when Democrats says that Trump is a danger to Democracy they’re really saying somebody needs to take him out. A history of the acceptance of political violence has shown that it has been the socialist and fascist who have accepted violence as a justified course of action to bring about political change. Who is the real danger to Democracy?

    1. And why is it that the alleged shooter is always someone that the FBI has had a bead on for some time, almost as if they keep these nut jobs on call.

      1. “why is it that the alleged shooter is always someone that the FBI has had a bead on for some time, almost as if they keep these nut jobs on call.”

        Suspected Trump assassin flagged by U.S.during return from Ukraine, but Homeland refused probe
        https://justthenews.com/government/security/trump-assassination-suspect-flagged-border-protection-agents-homeland-security
        “Ryan Routh, the suspected Donald Trump assassin, was interviewed by
        U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials when he returned from
        Ukraine last year and flagged for further investigation based on
        spontaneous comments he made to agents, BUT THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT DECLINED TO ACT, Just the News has confirmed.”

    2. TiT,
      And when they say to “resist,” or “by any means necessary” we know who the real danger is.

  7. The cannibal Left hates their neighbors. They also hate risking their own skins. So what’s the biggest implication?

    The cannibals want the nuclear football. Nobody fights and dies for the greater glory of speech codes and genital mutilation, so they’ll need nuclear blackmail if events go nonlinear.

    We are at a point where we need to ask, “Who actually controls these munitions?” Asking it after any political party monopolizes control of the military is too late. Just think about that, even for a moment.

    Times are a changin’. Some flat heads might consider this an absurd concern. Please, ignore their lack of imagination. Putin already has.

    1. I live next to an Army base and our family business deals, daily, with military troops. Let me say that the traditional soldier is disgusted by the DEI changes to the military and they cannot raise any concerns about readiness for fear of recriminations from the prog/left ensconced in the upper echelons of military authority. This will not end well for the progs if they actually think they can command those oath takers to abdicate their duty to protect the constitution.

        1. recruitment is far below what is needed. It is either a case of patriots not finding a meaning in serving in the DEI military, or the fact that millennials and gen X are not fit, either physically or mentally to serve even if they wanted to.

          1. whimsicalmama,
            Read an report that it was leftist blaming historically traditional military families who’s children were not enlisting for the recruitment shortage. Yep. Conservative families with long history of military service are not interested in joining the Obama, Biden DEI military are the ones to blame. Figure that logic out. I would advise any military age person’s not to serve in this military.

    2. * An inventory of usa munitions is in order. The nuclear warheads have been sold as was the equipment “left” in Afghanistan. The left is just showing off before smithereens. Someone had to be sacrificed. Dogs and cats.

      The right has already compromised.

    3. “The cannibals want the nuclear football… We are at a point where we need to ask, ‘Who actually controls these munitions?'”

      I want to know what the ACTUAL current decision tree is wrt to authorizing a nuclear strike or retaliatory response, and who has the final say. You can bet your bippy that sure as fornication it isn’t Joe Biden. Don ‘t the people deserve to know who has the power to trigger their nuclear annihilation, or that of others, in their name?

  8. The knife cuts both ways. Realize if you start Civil Upheaval/War there are 113 million guns owners with 700 million guns.

    1. Who are you going to kill? Your neighbor with the Harris sign? His 12 year old daughter?

      Please tell us, who are you going to kill?

      1. “Who are you going to kill? ”

        The members of the mob who break into my house to try to drag me into the street and beat the crap out of me because I had the colossal nerve to display a Trump/Vance sign (or, for that matter, one that states “I Support the U. S. Constitution) on my front lawn? Is that OK with you? Rhetorical question, because if it comes to that point, I don’t intend to consult any imbecile whiners (yes, you resemble that remark) on self-defense etiquette before I start shooting.

    2. For some perspective, check out the 18-30 year old Russian conscripts armed with machine guns being mowed down in Ukraine. Your peashooters would be useless.

        1. No, 20 million Veterans with combat experience. The 2nd Amendment is the Remedy for tyranny.

      2. You haven’t been paying attention for 60 years. The hardest part of a hostile occupation isn’t defeating field forces. It’s not getting shot in the back by the locals. That’s how your heroes, the Viet Cong, won. Given that clue, I’m sure you can think of other examples in which peashooters mattered.

        Shock-and-awe was always overrated. After the aerial bombing survey of WW II, it was thought that wars could be make quick and easy, but the occupations that came after those quicky invasions were mostly bitter disappointments.

        General Sherman understood it better. If the locals don’t bitterly regret the war, the occupation will fail. You often have to bomb Dresden and Hiroshima to make an occupation stick. That’s why war is so terrible.

        So, are you still willing to test your peashooter hypothesis with your own jack boots? General Milley might, but are you really that stupid??

      3. 600,000 dead Ukranian soldiers dumbazz. Last report I saw was Russia had lost around 200,000.
        Ukraine has lost nearly all mechanized equipment, tanks, humvees, troop transport, artillery etc. Why do you suppose they want long range missiles? Ukraine is done and Putin has repeatedly stated he will retaliate with tactical nuclear weapons against any country that provides Ukraine these weapons. All over basically a civil war, Trump will end what Obama created and Biden Harris started.

          1. Oh really, then why is the Ukraine looking for NATO soldiers to fill their ranks as mercenaries? Colonel Douglas McGregor and UN weapons inspector John Ritter is who I listen to for the updates. Go back to bed and eat your pudding pop!

      1. Metrosexual male raised and fed soy and feminized by the estrogenic compounds in it. Soft, weak, low-T.

        1. You mean the low-T soldiers that will comprise the military in a future Harris administration? Be prepared for a Harris draft.

          1. oh, will those little soyboys and angry lesbians be put off if their JOY leader wants to send them to the front lines. Ha, they will riot in the streets like the mobs during the French and Russian revolutions.

            1. “oh, will those little soyboys and angry lesbians be put off if their JOY leader wants to send them to the front lines.”

              I hope the draft is never reactivated, but if it is, I want to see the leftist/wokist women’s reaction to being included. That might be a very interesting exercise in trying to have the cake and simultaneously eat it.

    2. America has plenty of prison space and morgues for Trump supporters to occupy should they turn violent.

  10. By way of validation, just read the comments on this story you see the problem. One side attacks the other. The side being attacked is supposed to submit, otherwise they get attacked for not submitting to the attack.
    A self-licking ice cream cone for democrats.

  12. Liberal politicians and media figures have said on TV and the internet that Trump is Hitler and a threat to democracy. They have made these public statements thousands of times since Trump first announced his candidacy in 2015. Then one day after the second assassination attempt Hillary says he’s a “danger to the planet.”

    These people know there are hundreds of unhinged people and/or losers with nothing to make their lives meaningful who might act on their words. The assassination attempts are by design of the Dem party and their agents and lapdogs in the corporate media. Which means this will probably not be the last one. The Dems think Trump might win and so their strategy is to get him killed before then.

      1. can you prove it otherwise? Keep in mind the politician from Potsdam. NY that said Trump should be put down like a rabid dog.

        1. Trump said sending immigrants out would be bloody, but that’s probably a turn on for you.

          2. If those illegals refuse to leave our nation then, yes, it may turn bloody – just as our wars for independence and a civil war cost us much blood to save the ideal of our constitutional federal republic and I would rather see blood shed to save us than to watch us be consumed by the scum of the world pouring over our borders with prog/left encouragement.

            1. He’s mixing up two things. Trump said if the Dems win it will be an economic bloodbath – an obvious metaphor for anyone with two functioning brain cells. Yet they constantly, and very disingenuously, say Trump is speaking literally. They’re either idiots or bald-faced liars.

            2. “If those illegals refuse to leave our nation then, yes, it may turn bloody ”

              You mean you don’t believe that Tren de Aragua members embedded in Aurora Colorado, and elsewhere, are going to just docilely mosey on back to Venezuela when asked nicely?

  13. Well it’s come down to this for Turley, not only has he abandoned his morals on the law, he now is gaslighting his own base. Turley feeds his Trump base rage almost on a daily basis and he gets paid well for it. It must be considered that Turley has become a paid political operative for FOX and the new republican party of Trump. Jumping the shark has become his MO. And why not, his base will believe just about any BS he throws out there and he gets a check for it.

    1. FishFarts is cutting and pasting from Gigi, now.

      Nothing to say, so he ad homs.

      Good boy, FishFarts

      1. Your flexibility amazes me. How do you get your foot in your mouth and your head so far up your a**

    2. A sincere question for Fishysmell.

      What is your purpose for posting here? It really is not apparent.

      1. DDC, sorry my writing here bothers you, would it be better if someone read it to you? Turley claims to be for “free speech” of course it’s not the free speech you want to hear.

        1. I never said it bothers me. I am frequently entertained by your stupidity. I now see you aren’t very perceptive, either.

          I asked you what your purpose is.

          Since you won’t answer, one can assume you have no purpose, or that its some sort of feel good moment for you.

          1. Maybe your Russian to English translation screwed up, I made it clear, “free speech”

            1. Fishstick, good way to avoid the question.
              The Russian to English translation sounds like another BlueAnon conspiracy theory. Like the other BlueAnon conspiracy theories like the COVID vaccine and boosters will keep you from getting it or spreading it to others. Didn’t Biden just recently, despite being vac and boosted get COVID, again? What other BlueAnon conspiracy theories do you not address? Like the Russia!Russia!Russia! hoax? The Hunter Biden laptop is Russian disinformation hoax? Joe Biden is “sharp as a tack!” hoax for how many years? The inflation hoax that continues to this day? The Trump tariffs that Joe Biden kept and as of last Thursday add more tariffs too hoax? Will you address how Harris has flip-flopped on nearly all of her policies and has even stolen some of Trump’s? Will you address how Harris is hiding just as Joe Biden did in 2020 in the basement? Why would that be Fishstick?

  14. So entertained this morning to read Turley complaining about charged rhetoric while ignoring the dog and cat eating nonsense in Ohio. It’s kind of hilarious, albeit quite pathetic, that he does.

    To review: trump’s election strategy is to whip misogynistic and racist rhetoric in order to turn voters against a black and Indian female opponent candidate. Turley’s job is to write an op Ed saying: ‘look!! Squirrel!!! And divert attention. Full stop.

    Plus it had been a couple weeks since Turley had teed off on Eric Loomis for speaking his mind. Next up? Marc Elias. And then, of course,…, Hunter Biden.

    Trump lost his debate against Harris bigly. And he continues to implode on his way to taking another big L.

    2. Not only did Trump get crushed in the debate, he lied about it claiming he wiped the floor with Harris… and Trump’s morons believe him.

  15. “INDIA — In yet another bold fact-check of presidential candidate Donald Trump’s statements, Thuggee high priest Mola Ram has recently stepped forward to say that he has found absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support Trump’s allegations of heart-ripping ceremonies taking place within the Temple of Doom.

    Trump’s claim in question came during Tuesday’s debate, when the Republican candidate alleged that Ram had sacrificed a man by extracting his heart and lowering the victim into a lava pit.

    “After a thorough fact-check with my sources, there is zero evidence to support Mr. Trump’s claim of heart-ripping ceremonies in the Temple of Doom,” Mola Ram explained, wiping blood off of his hands with a ceremonial towel. “We have investigated the building in question and found no evidence of victims, lava pits, or ripped-out hearts. Mr. Trump’s claim has therefore been completely debunked as a racist and probably sexist slander against the peaceful religion of the Thuggees.”

    While Mola Ram’s statement has been called into question by the discovery of lava pits, a ripped-out heart, and video footage of a victim being lowered into molten rock in the Temple of Doom, several media outlets have clarified that Mr. Trump is still probably lying about his truth claims.

    “Tragically, Donald Trump has continued to spread his debunked misinformation conspiracies,” wrote one writer for the Atlantic. “Orange Man Bad. Throw him in the lava.”

    At publishing time, Mola Ram had debunked Trump’s claim that the priest had attempted to tear his heart out while Trump was hanging from a rope bridge over a river full of crocodiles by saying that he had found no evidence to support it.” https://babylonbee.com/news/mola-ram-says-he-has-found-no-evidence-to-support-trumps-claim-of-heart-ripping-ceremonies-taking-place-within-temple-of-doom

    J

  16. I have said more than a few times here on the good professor’s blog that a civil war must be avoided.
    But after the past few months and years of hearing from various Democrats with their incitement rhetoric, spurring on crazy to commit acts of violence, I fear that day is coming soon.
    Case in point, “And I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for the press to have a consistent narrative about how dangerous Trump is,” Clinton said. “You know, the late, great journalist Harry Evans, you know, one time said that, you know, journalists should, you know, really try to achieve objectivity. And by that, he said, I mean, they should cover the object. Well, the object in this case is Donald Trump, his demagoguery, his danger to our country and the world.”
    — Hillary Clinton
    Fanning the flames of violence.

    1. “I have said more than a few times here”

      You’re right, you do tend to repeat yourself quite a bit

    2. “Getting them (immigrants) out will be a bloody story.” — Donald Trump.

      What’s so violent about that?

    3. Hillary Clinton
      Fanning the flames of violence.

      Hillary is a glimpse of who occupies Dante’s 9th Circle of Hell

      Ninth Circle of Hell: Treachery

      The ninth circle, the deepest, is where Satan resides. As with the last two circles, this one is further divided, into four rounds. The first is Caina, named after the biblical Cain, who murdered his brother. This round is for traitors to family. The second, Antenora—from Antenor of Troy, who betrayed the Greeks—is reserved for political and national traitors

  18. I am so glad I do not have kids. I would NEVER send a kid to a liberal university today. The degrees are NOT worth the paper they are printed on. I would push for tech schools instead.

    1. An extremely high proportion of scientists, once they’ve studied math, physics, computer science, chemistry, etc., end up as atheists. Oh wait, you didn’t mean your kid would study something hard. You meant “tech school” as in car repair or plumbing.

      1. We need more plumbers, electricians, chefs, mechanics, and others far more than we need philosophers, poets, and radicals who and highly indebted. come out hating our country, At least trade schools teach them useful skills AND they come out ahead, already making money.

    1. “It takes a whole other level of stupid to want four more years of what we just went through”—Kid Rock

      1. Kid Rock… lol. What an idiot. Next you’ll be citing Ted Nugent, “wang dang sweet poontang.”

    2. What kind of utter moron believes a single word Donald Trump says?

      The Birthing Persons who have been devoutly believing every single word uttered by Joe Biden since before they were old enough to vote always post that!

  20. “Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
    ― Mark Twain

    J

    1. Good post. That’s what all real conservatives, who’ve been estranged from the GOP by Trump and his idiots, should keep in mind.

          1. Yep, thanks for outing yourself for pretending to be a “conservative”.

            LMAO at the libtard sycophant pretending to speak for conservatives.

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