There is a chilling story out this morning that another assassination attempt may have been averted. This time, the target was not President Donald Trump or a conservative justice but my former student Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Notably, Colin Demarco, 26, referenced the “fascist” mantra being repeated by Democratic politicians, press, and pundits as the reason for his planning to kill Vought.

According to Arlington police, the assassination may have been thwarted by an attentive and courageous neighbor who, around 3:15 p.m. on August 10, 2025, saw a suspicious male who he believed was hiding a firearm under his shirt, wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, and carrying a backpack on the Voughts ’ porch. The neighbor confronted the man and later called the police. The encounter was captured on home surveillance video.

Police then tracked down the man and found digital evidence that the suspect had obtained directions to the victim’s residence, had gathered information on firearms possessed by a relative, and had a guide on how to prevent criminal detection. He also allegedly solicited others to kill Vought and, within a few days of these postings, appeared at his house.

According to CBS News, Demarco claimed to have written a manifesto that detailed weapons and a “Body Disposal Guide,” adding:

The court records show that Demarco is accused of plotting to murder a victim with the initials “R.V.” who, according to the criminal complaint, “has served as a presidential appointee.”

The complaint adds that the alleged victim was involved in the creation of Project 2025 — a project funded by the conservative Heritage Foundation- to produce a policy agenda for the next GOP administration. It called for a radical reshaping of the government in ways that consolidate power in the executive branch.

What is most chilling is how Demarco parroted the talking points of Democratic leaders in justifying the assassination. He reportedly told agents that he found the November 2024 election to be the “lowest point in his life” and feared “impending war and a fascist takeover.”

Many of us have condemned the now common rhetoric coming from top Democratic leaders who are calling conservatives or officials “fascists” and insisting that democracy is about to die in the United States. As figures like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and various congressional members called ICE “Gestapo” and a “secret police,” attacks on federal law enforcement officers have soared.

Recently, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.) called out the “fascism in our streets” and suggested that citizens could be justified in shooting masked agents, a chilling claim made earlier by other Democratic leaders.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D. Conn.) recently declared, “What is happening in Minnesota right now is a dystopia. ICE is tear gassing elementary schools. It is disappearing legal residents into cars. It is murdering American citizens.”

Aspiring Democrats are getting the message. Total Wine billionaire David Trone (who is running to recapture his Maryland congressional district from fellow Democrat Rep. April McClain-Delaney) declared this week that the federal government is “literally executing people on the streets” in “not just Minneapolis… all over the United States.”

Ohio Democratic Attorney General candidate Elliot Forhan is running on the catchy pledge that “I will kill Donald Trump.” It is a race to the bottom as Democratic leaders try to take the lead in mob politics.

For years, people have heard politicians and the press call Trump “Hitler” and the GOP a Nazi movement. Some compared stopping Trump to stopping Hitler in 1933. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) declared Trump “is not only unfit, he is destructive to our democracy and he has to be eliminated.” He later apologized.

Last week, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner promised to “hunt down” ICE officers like “Nazis.” Democratic strategist James Carville previously threatened that “collaborators” may be treated in the same way as they were after World War II.

When combined with the rationalization for the use of lethal force against officers, this rhetoric is not just inflammatory but dangerous. We have heard these voices before in our history. As discussed in Rage and the Republic, we have a rising class of new Jacobins, politicians and pundits who are pandering to the mob. History does not bode well for these politicians seeking to ride the wave of rage when the mob turns against them.

Figures like Demarco hear such reckless rhetoric and take it as a license to commit murder. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) previously went to the steps of the Supreme Court and called out Kavanaugh by name: “I want to tell you, (Justice Neil) Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

Nicholas Roske would later go to the home of Justice Kavanaugh to kill him.

Notably, police are also reporting that Demarco expressed support for alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione. Again, the unhinged hear praise for such figures from writers such as former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz who explained the reaction of many women: “Here’s this man who’s a revolutionary, who’s famous, who’s handsome, who’s young, who’s smart, he’s a person who seems like he’s this morally good man, which is hard to find.”

Vought is now under enhanced security protection due to the heightened risk of assassination. Yet, there is no indication that Democratic leaders are tamping down their inflammatory rhetoric. To the contrary, they seem to have “jumped the shark” and are struggling to find ways to stand out to the mob with increasingly outrageous claims. It may work to get them back into power in the midterms, but it will come at a terrible price as they spur greater political violence in this country.