Disturbing Number Of Young People Say Political Violence Is Justified: NEW POLL

A growing number of young Americans believe political violence can be justified, Politico reported Monday on its latest survey through Public First.

The poll found that 24% of Americans say there are circumstances in which political violence can be justified, compared to 64% who say it is never acceptable, according to Politico’s report on the survey. Among younger adults, that number rises sharply, with more than one in three under the age of 45 agreeing there are circumstances where political violence is warranted. There was “little partisan divide” on the issue, according to Politico, though neither the precise breakdown on the numbers nor the phrasing of the questions were included in the report.

The findings come amid a surge of politically motivated attacks and threats in recent months, including the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September, the attacks on several Democratic lawmakers, assassination attempts on President Donald Trump, and recent assaults on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.

Fifty-five percent of survey respondents expect politically motivated attacks in the country to increase in the coming years, and over half say it’s very or somewhat likely a political candidate will be assassinated within the next five years.

The survey was conducted from Oct. 18 to 21 among 2,051 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.

Previous surveys have revealed similar patterns, particularly among Democrats and younger Americans.