The third attack on Donald Trump in three years, which occurred at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25, 2026, underscores a dangerous rise in political violence in the United States, according to political violence scholar James Piazza of Penn State.
Piazza points to several factors, including extreme political polarisation where each side views the other as immoral, creating a zero-sum environment. This has normalised political violence and reduced public backlash.
Violent political rhetoric, especially dehumanising language from politicians, and widespread disinformation from social media have also fuelled extremism. The erosion of democratic norms and institutions has further undermined trust in government.
Recent examples cited include the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, attacks on Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman (which left Hortman and her husband dead), the attempted murder of Paul Pelosi, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and an attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Piazza notes that such periods are not unprecedented, drawing parallels to the polarised 1850s leading to the Civil War and the early 1900s.
