A recent survey reveals that a significant number of Americans anticipate the assassination of a major political candidate in the foreseeable future, highlighting a growing concern.

According to findings from a joint survey by POLITICO and Public First, 55% of respondents foresee an increase in politically-motivated violence.

High-profile incidents such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, and last year’s multiple assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump have stirred anxiety among people across the political spectrum.

Over the past decade, the rise of politically-motivated violence has become evident in the United States, with the violent actions of groups like Antifa and the deadly events of the January 6 Capitol riot.

This environment has led many survey participants to express a belief that another political assassination attempt in the U.S. is a distinct possibility.

More than half of those surveyed indicated that they believe it is likely for a political candidate to be assassinated within the next five years.

Disturbingly, a significant chunk of those who took the survey – 24 percent – claimed that political violence is not always wrong.

Younger Americans, specifically one in three under the age of 45, agreed that political violence can be justified. 

A protester waves the Mexican flag beside the wreckage of a burnt car sprayed with graffiti against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as law enforcement clashes with demonstrators during a protest following federal immigration operations, in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on June 7, 2025

Trump shortly after getting shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024

Still, the prospects for those wishing to carry out such horrific acts are, at best, dim.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the young man who was behind the first assassination attempt on Trump’s life, was immediately killed by the return fire of a Secret Service sniper after grazing the Republican candidate’s right ear with an AR-15 round. 

Ryan Routh, the man behind Trump’s second assassination attempt, who was recently found guilty on five federal charges, will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison. 

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old who allegedly shot Charlie Kirk, is currently in a Salt Lake City prison and faces the death penalty. 

Robert Pape, a professor at the University of Chicago who studies political violence, told POLITICO that the US is in the throes of a new wave of political violence. 

‘We’re not on the brink of it, we’re firmly in the grip of it,’ Pape shared. 

‘What’s happening is public support for political violence is growing in the mainstream, it’s not a fringe thing, and the more it grows, the more it seems acceptable to volatile people,’ he added. 

The political violence isn’t siloed to the national conversation either.

Anti-ICE protestors gather in Manhattan to demonstrate against federal officers

Protesters march during the ‘Rise Up for Gaza’ international day of action at Washington Square Park, New York City on October 4, 2025

Political protests across Los Angeles over the summer resulted in Trump deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the city

In June, ex-Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in their home. 

Governor Tim Walz later called the hit ‘politically motivated,’ and the man accused of killing the couple has been indicted on federal murder charges. 

Similarly, a man firebombed the Pennsylvania Governor’s mansion in April, expecting to harm Josh Shapiro.

Members of Congress have also expressed their concerns about rising political violence. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson has pushed measures to provide members with additional cash for security measures, like home security camera installation.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers frequently quip about the death threats they receive. 

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed in September that she canceled a campaign event in the wake of Kirk’s assassination, citing, in part, safety concerns.