In a Shift, Left-Wing Attacks Outpace Right-Wing Attacks

A new study from a bipartisan group points to a notable shift in attacks labeled as domestic terrorism: For the first time in over three decades, those from the left are outpacing those from the right, reports the Washington Post. Details from the report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies:

• Left: The group counts five left-wing attacks or plots this year through July 4, a period that does not count the assassination of Charlie Kirk or the shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, per NBC News.
• Right: The group counts one attack from the right, the killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in June.

• Definition: The study defines domestic terrorism as "the deliberate use or threat of premeditated violence by nonstate actors with the intent to achieve political goals by creating a broad psychological impact."
• Why the shift? Researchers say the election of President Trump is the likely explanation for the increase in left-wing attacks. "We think the rise is driven by opposition to the Trump administration and partisan extremism," says Riley McCabe, an associate fellow of the organization. "I don't think these sentiments are going to go away soon." In regard to the decline of right-wing attacks: "Trump's victory temporarily ended many concerns about a Democrat-orchestrated 'stolen election,' a leading conspiracy that motivated many extremists in the past," the study says.
• Context: The dataset covers more than 750 incidents in the US since 1994. The number of left-wing attacks averaged less than one per year from 1994 through 2000, then ticked up a bit. But since the election of Trump in 2016, the average has grown "noticeably" to four per year, according to the study. This year's numbers are outpacing that. Right-wing incidents averaged 20 per year from 2011 through 2024, then dropped off dramatically this year.
• Caveats: Critics caution that labeling incidents as strictly left- or right-wing can be misleading, as motivations are often complex and cross ideological lines. And some researchers highlight a broader trend: the normalization of political violence itself, as seen in confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, and more frequent attacks on civilians. The rise in left-wing incidents, they say, may reflect this changing climate as much as any ideological shift.