More or Less Is JD Vance right about left-wing violence?
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Sep 20, 2025 
Lizzy McNeill, a dedicated reporter who specializes in political violence analysis, joins to dissect the contentious claims made by JD Vance concerning left-wing violence. The conversation dives into polling data regarding public perceptions of political violence and explores how definitions and motivations complicate the picture. Lizzy highlights troubling trends where recent attacks have predominately involved right-identified individuals. The episode debates the role of mental illness and the challenges inherent in categorizing violent acts by ideology.
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Power Changes Attitudes Toward Violence
- Who holds power affects support for political violence in polls; Republican support dropped when Trump won a second term.
- Public attitudes on violence shift with political context and leadership.
Definitions And Timeframes Matter
- Counting political violence depends on definitions and timeframes, producing different conclusions.
- The Cato Institute data since 1975 shows most politically motivated deaths were from Islamist actors, with right-wing attackers larger than left-wing when 9/11 is excluded.
Excluding 9/11 Alters The Picture
- Excluding 9/11 shifts the share: left-wing attackers account for about 10% and right-wing for 63% of politically motivated murders historically.
- Recent years (since 2020) show a higher share of right-wing murders but a non-negligible left-wing share.