Attitudes towards political violence in the United States
Content Notice
This research discusses topics related to political violence and references the September 2025 assassination of Charlie Kirk. Content may be sensitive for some readers.
Americans Vastly Overestimate Political Violence Support After Charlie Kirk Assassination
New research following the September 2025 assassination shows Democrats think 47 percent of Republicans support political violence. But only 13 percent really do. This dangerous misperception fuels further division.
Read the Full Research Study
Learn what the research found about political violence
Access ResearchStudy Overview
Dangerous Misperception After Assassination
Following Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10, 2025, More in Common released comprehensive research showing how Americans dangerously overestimate political opponents' support for violence. Based on five years of studies, the research reveals that social media amplifies extreme voices while most Americans share common ground on democratic values. The study shows these misperceptions create a vicious cycle - people think their opponents support violence more than they actually do, which can increase their own support for violence in response.
What They Found
Democrats think 47 percent of Republicans support violence against Democrats. But only 13 percent really do. Even more striking: only 3.5% of Democrats and 2.4% of Republicans support throwing rocks at opposing protestors, yet 40% from both parties think the other side would support this - a ten-fold exaggeration. Social media makes this worse by amplifying extreme voices. Meanwhile, 85% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats believe in unconditional free speech, but each side thinks only about half the other party believes this. This creates dangerous cycles where people respond to imaginary threats.
How They Did the Study
This September 2025 study synthesizes five years of More in Common research on political violence attitudes. The research includes multiple national surveys, with their most recent survey of 5,205 US adults conducted in June 2025. They also reference weekly tracking by the Polarization Research Lab, which surveys 1,000 Americans each week since September 2022. Additionally, they conducted qualitative research including video interviews with 201 people. The study was released September 16, 2025, following Charlie Kirk's assassination, to provide evidence-based context amid heated political rhetoric.
