2 Years After Butler, Left-Wing Violence Is Still An Existential Threat
Two years after an assassination attempt nearly killing President Donald Trump, political violence in the United States has notably increased. The initial attack, which nearly resulted in Trump’s death, was followed by numerous other threats and assaults targeting him, his family, and political figures. Incidents include individuals hiding near Trump’s golf course with weapons, armed trespassing at Mar-a-Lago, and attempts to breach security at events attended by the President and Vice President.
Violence has also extended beyond Trump, affecting other political figures such as Charlie Kirk, who was murdered by a left-wing radical, and Russell Vought, who was targeted in an alleged murder attempt. Additionally, there have been attacks on institutions, including bomb threats during Supreme Court events and planned bombings by left-wing extremists.
The violence has escalated against immigration enforcement officers, with assaults involving biting, kicking, and threatening ICE agents. Natural disasters like wildfires and arson have also been linked to left-wing extremists, causing deaths, damage, and targeted attacks like the firebombing of Pennsylvania governor josh Shapiro’s home.
The rise in rhetoric promoting political violence is evident,with some Democrats openly expressing support for violent actions against opponents or fantasizing about harming political rivals. Despite these troubling developments,the left’s campaign of political violence appears to be ongoing,far from a conclusion two years ago.
Two years ago today President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated after a bullet tore through his ear, narrowly missing his head. Sadly, father and firefighter Corey Comperatore lost his life while shielding his family from one of the most shocking acts of political violence in modern American history. The attempted assassination of the president should have shocked the nation into ending political violence once and for all. But instead, left-wing violence has only grown in the past two years.
In the two years since the first serious assassination attempt against the president, several others have followed. Roughly two months after the attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, Ryan Routh was arrested (and later sentenced to life in prison) for hiding out near Trump’s Florida golf course with a rifle, intent on assassinating then-candidate Trump. Just this past February authorities fatally shot 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin after he trespassed onto Mar-a-Lago armed with a shotgun and a fuel can and refused to comply with law enforcement when ordered to drop his weapon.
Weeks later, 31-year-old California resident Cole Allen managed to rush past a Secret Service checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. He then headed toward the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other members of the cabinet were attending the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April. Allen was ultimately subdued by law enforcement.
The political violence has sadly not been limited to the president, either.
Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a left-wing radical while speaking to students at a Utah college campus in September. Then there’s the case of 26-year-old Colin Demarco, who allegedly showed up to the home of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought wearing a surgical mask and gloves in an alleged attempt to murder him. The man reportedly said he feared a “fascist takeover” from the Trump administration.
The leftist violence has also targeted our institutions. A 41-year-old man was arrested on bomb charges in late 2025 after he showed up to a Mass that Supreme Court justices traditionally attend to mark the beginning of the term. This past December four far-left extremists were arrested for allegedly planning a series of New Year’s Eve bombings and an ambush on ICE officers in Los Angeles.
The left-wing violence against immigration enforcement has continued to escalate this year, with one rioter biting off an ICE agent’s finger in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge. In May a rioter was charged “for allegedly kicking and biting ICE officers” at a New Jersey illegal immigrant holding center, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on X. Another individual was arrested after threatening to murder an immigration officer and his family, Blanche said.
In addition prosecutors allege that it was a left-wing arsonist who started the deadly Palisades fire. The wildfire caused at least 12 deaths (and potentially hundreds of others), while creating billions in damage. Speaking of fires, Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home was firebombed by a left-wing arsonist who targeted the governor over Palestine, according to police.
Just as troubling is the left’s normalization of rhetoric that explicitly and implicitly encourages political violence. Democrats in Virginia overwhelmingly elected Jay Jones to serve as the state’s attorney general in November despite messages showing Jones fantasized about murdering his Republican colleagues and their children. Similarly, Democrat Elliot Forhan ran on killing his opponents, promising to “legally” kill Trump if he were elected as Ohio’s attorney general. He was defeated in the May primary.
Unfortunately, a tragic moment that should have marked the apex of political violence in the United States two years ago has today proven to be only the tip of the iceberg in the left’s assassination campaign.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
