Poll: Support for Political Violence Rises

🔍 Key Facts

PBS NewsHour reported on a PBS News/NPR/Marist poll released Oct. 1, 2025; that poll is the primary source for the numbers cited.
The poll found a growing number of Americans say violence might be necessary to get the country "back on track."
Short-term, party-by-party shifts cited in the article were: Republicans +3 points, Independents +7 points, and Democrats +16 points (Democrats now at 28%).
Experts quoted in the report framed the finding as linked to rising polarization (Lee Miringoff) and called it a "wake‑up call" (Cynthia Miller‑Idriss).
The PBS story tied the poll results to recent high-profile political violence, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

As of 2025-09-29 at least four people were killed and eight were wounded in the attack on the Grand Blanc Township church.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, described the incident as an act of targeted violence, and sent about 100 federal agents to Grand Blanc Township.
Officers were on scene within 30 seconds of a 911 call, and two officers pursued the attacker after he left the church and fatally shot him about eight minutes later in an exchange of gunfire.
The church attack was the second mass shooting in the United States in less than 24 hours; a separate Saturday-night attack in Southport, North Carolina involved a shooter firing from a boat into a crowd, killing three and wounding five.
Law enforcement agencies respond to active shooter incidents and may engage and neutralize suspects at the scene.

Many X users highlight polls showing liberals are more likely to justify political violence compared to conservatives, with specific ratios like 1 in 5 liberals versus 1 in 22 conservatives endorsing it, which adds a partisan dimension not emphasized in mainstream reports.
Posts on X often connect the poll's findings to a perceived rise in left-wing extremism, citing CSIS data on increased left-wing terror incidents in 2025 outpacing far-right ones for the first time since the 1990s.
X discussions frequently express fears that the assassination of Charlie Kirk marks a turning point toward civil war, with polls indicating 85-90% of voters expecting more violence, contrasting with mainstream focus on general polarization.
Users on X blame heated political rhetoric from media and Democrats for fueling violence, including demonization of conservatives, as evidenced by Rasmussen polls where 83% agree such rhetoric contributes to murders like Kirk's.
Some X posts emphasize cross-partisan unity in rejecting violence, noting that even high percentages of Democrats (87-92%) express concern and expect more incidents, suggesting a broader national consensus on the issue beyond party lines.

Based on 2 sources

PBS News by Matt Loffman October 01, 2025

New information:

Provides attributable reporting by PBS NewsHour of the PBS News/NPR/Marist poll released Oct. 1, 2025 (primary sourcing for the numbers).
Gives party-by-party short-term change figures cited in the article: Republicans +3 points, Independents +7 points, Democrats +16 points (to 28%).
Includes expert quotes contextualizing the finding (Lee Miringoff on polarization; Cynthia Miller‑Idriss calling the results a wake‑up call) and ties the result to recent high-profile political violence including Charlie Kirk's assassination.

NPR by Domenico Montanaro October 01, 2025