Most Americans Think Political Violence Is Never Justified

Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk (31) was shot dead while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the shooter remained at large and a manhunt is underway. Kirk was an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative student movement with a major following. In a statement, Trump blamed the rhetoric of the “radical left” for Kirk’s death, while politicians across the political spectrum expressed their condolences. The shooting adds to a growing list of incidents of political violence in the United States, echoing the moment last year when a man shot Trump in the ear during a rally in front of a crowd.

Despite the deep political divide that exists between left and right, data shows that such acts of political violence are not tolerated by the vast majority of U.S. adults. A recent YouGov poll of 2,326 U.S. adults asked whether violence could ever be justified to achieve political goals. Just 11 percent believe that violence could be justified in some cases, while 72 percent said that it is never acceptable. The remaining 16 percent were either unsure or declined to answer.

As the following chart shows, both sides of the aisle are at least united in their stance that political violence in the U.S. is a problem. Where 87 percent of respondents said that it was at least somewhat of an issue, only one percent said it is not a problem at all and five percent said that it was only a minor issue.