July 13, 2024, is a date that will be etched in people’s memories, the kind of day where everyone remembers their exact whereabouts. On this day, a disturbed individual made an attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s life. This individual, whom I’ll refrain from naming, came frighteningly close to succeeding. During the incident, he injured two people and fatally wounded firefighter Corey Comperatore, who heroically sacrificed himself to protect his wife and daughter.

My wife and I were at our regular Saturday lunch at the lodge when we heard about the shooting. The person sitting at the next table turned to me and remarked, “Well, Trump just secured the election.” This moment has given us a memorable image, perhaps the most potent political image since Ronald Reagan’s historic speech at the Brandenburg Gate where he challenged, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

What’s truly troubling is the extent to which a culture of assassination has found a foothold in certain leftist circles. An editorial in Issues & Insights highlights some alarming examples of this trend.

According to a Rutgers Social Perception Lab-Network Contagion Research Institute brief, 55.2% of Americans on the left “reported that if someone murdered Donald Trump, they would be at least somewhat justified.” Overall, 38.5% hold the same belief.

Trump, who has survived a pair of assassination attempts (one of which was celebrated), is not the only legitimate target, say many Americans. The data show that nearly half, 48.6%, say murdering Elon Musk would be justified.

It turns out that there has also been a shocking show of support for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murdering UnitedHealth Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson. In addition, Mangione has a health care ballot initiative named after him in California.

The report’s authors say, “support for political violence – including property destruction and assassination – is not expressed in isolation, but as part of a tightly interconnected belief system.”

The I&I editorial board goes on, with quotes from people who command some influence with the left:

It’s an effort to dehumanize him, which is a tacit approval for violent behavior. To this end, various playactors, politicians, and grifters have:

• Wanted to punch Trump in the face (Robert DeNiro) 
• Wished they could “take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him” (Joe Biden)
• Wondered when “was the last time an actor assassinated a president” (Johnny Depp)
• Asked “where is John Wilkes Booth when you need him?” (actress Carole Cook), 
• Said the “donor class” is “still going to have go out and put a bullet in Donald Trump” (Rick Wilson, Lincoln Project),
• “Thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House” (Madonna)
• Felt inspired to “go and take out Trump tonight” (Rep. Maxine Waters)
• Wished publicly that “somebody would kill Donald Trump” (academic and New York Times columnist John McWhorter)
• Hoped that “maybe Donald Trump will go away. Maybe he’ll go to jail. Maybe he will die” (former Biden press secretary and current MSNBC misinformer Jen Psaki)

Where is this all headed?