Violence associated with political identity is never OK. But in light of the “assassination attempt” at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, in which zero bullets were shot in the direction of President Trump and his cabinet, the Talking Heads from the Right on Cable news are losing their minds.
Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson tweeted that “what happened Saturday is worse that everything that happened on January 6th combined.” No even close Benny.
For those who need a reminder, I offer this summary of political violence on the Left from Right Wing Extremists:
Here are documented examples of right-wing (or perceived as such) violence or plots targeting Democrats, Democratic politicians, or left-leaning figures in the US. The focus is on on cases where the perpetrator’s motivations were explicitly tied to right-wing ideologies, conspiracy theories (e.g., QAnon, election denial, anti-government extremism), or explicit hostility toward Democrats.
- Attack on Paul Pelosi (2022): David DePape broke into the home of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in San Francisco, asking “Where’s Nancy?” He attacked her husband Paul with a hammer, fracturing his skull. DePape was motivated by right-wing conspiracy theories, including election denial and QAnon-style beliefs about government corruption. He was convicted and sentenced to decades in prison. Donald Trump Jr. posted a phot of whitey tighters and a hammer on Twitter saying his “Paul Pelosi” costume for Halloween was ready to go.
- Solomon Peña case (2022–2023, New Mexico): Peña, a Republican candidate who lost a state House race, was convicted of hiring men to carry out drive-by shootings at the homes of Democratic politicians and officials as retaliation for his election loss.
- The Arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence (April 2025): Cody Balmer was charged with setting fire to the governor’s mansion (attempted homicide) while Shapiro (D) and his family were inside. The attack occurred shortly after Shapiro celebrated Passover; motivations included hostility toward Shapiro as a Democrat and Jewish official.
- Firebombing plots against Democratic Party offices: 2021, Austin, TX: Ryan Faircloth threw a Molotov cocktail at the Travis County Democratic Party headquarters and left a threatening note blaming Democrats for national problems. He pleaded guilty to arson.
- 2021, Sacramento, CA: Ian Benjamin Rogers and Jarrod Copeland (linked to the Three Percenters militia movement) plotted to firebomb the California Democratic Party headquarters amid anger over Trump’s election loss. Both pleaded guilty.
- Other context and caveats: 2025 Minnesota shootings: A gunman killed Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounded another Democratic legislator and his wife. The suspect had a “hit list” of Democratic officials and pro-abortion advocates. Some reports classified this as right-wing.
- Broader patterns: Studies from sources like the ADL, University of Maryland START, and others have tracked right-wing extremist plots involving threats or attacks on Democratic targets, election officials, or perceived “leftist” institutions, often linked to militia groups, white supremacist ideologies, or anti-government grievances. These include threats to election workers post-2020 and plots against figures like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (though the Whitmer kidnapping plot involved mixed motives).
Important broader picture on political violence:Political violence in the US comes from multiple directions and is overwhelmingly carried out by lone actors rather than organized groups.
Data from the Global Terrorism Database, CSIS, Cato Institute, and others show:Right-wing extremists have historically accounted for a larger share of fatalities in ideologically motivated attacks over decades (often 60-75%+ in various studies excluding 9/11), including mass shootings targeting minorities or “elites.”
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