Published October 26, 2024
Democrats are sounding the alarm that former President Trump’s harsh rhetoric in the home stretch of a tight presidential race could portend a repeat of the mass political violence that broke out among his supporters in January 2021.
But national security experts say there’s reason to believe a repeat of the Jan. 6 insurrection is unlikely.
For the first time ever, the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated the upcoming Jan. 6, 2025 counting and certification of electoral votes in Washington, D.C. as a National Special Security Event (NSSE), which will ensure massive federal, state and local resources are deployed around the Capitol.
There’s also a different commander-in-chief. Unlike Trump, who hindered efforts to call in the National Guard to quell violence carried out by rioters at the Capitol, experts say President Biden would be unlikely to standby in the face of political violence.
And the prosecution of hundreds of rioters – including stiff sentences for the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers – has weakened the militia-style groups that helped orchestrate the Jan. 6 riots.
Amy Cooter, an antigovernment extremist expert at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism of the Middlebury Institute, said the threat of election violence remains a concern.
But she said the conditions for political violence appears lower than in late 2020, a particularly tense year because of the George Floyd protests and coronavirus pandemic.
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SOURCE: www.thehill.com
RELATED: Most Americans Believe There Will Be Violence After the Election. They Are Probably Right.
Published October 26, 2024
We are in the home stretch now, folks, and everyone’s wondering who the next President of the United States will be. However, it appears there is something else on the American people’s minds: What happens after the outcome is decided.
A new Scripps/Ipsos poll shows that the majority of Americans are concerned about political violence after the election.
Most Americans expect violence following Election Day but remain confident their vote will be counted accurately and are willing to accept the results of the presidential race, a new Scripps News/Ipsos poll found.
The survey of 1,000 Americans finds bipartisan concerns over unrest after Nov. 5. Overall, 62% of respondents – including 70% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans – say violence related to the election is “somewhat“ or “very likely.”
And among respondents in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, which was also measured as part of the survey, concerns over violence are higher, at 72%.
And many, 51%, say they would support using the U.S. military to prevent potential threats around Election Day.
But a large majority, 77%, also says they are willing to accept the election results if their preferred candidate loses.
Many Americans, regardless of party, would support using the military to prevent unrest on or after Election Day. This includes 61 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of Democrats. Additionally, about 56 percent believe the state of U.S. democracy is “weak.”
When asked how they felt about the election, 37 percent reported feeling “anxious.” About 32 percent said they felt “hopeful,” while 21 percent said they felt “ready.”
Most Americans indicated they are willing to accept the outcome of the election even if their preferred candidate does not win. Three-fourths of respondents indicated this, including 85 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans.
A small percentage indicated they would support the use of violence to ensure their candidate wins. About eight percent said they believe the use of violent force to ensure that Trump does not win is justified while six percent indicated violence to ensure Trump wins is acceptable.
The Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis published a report indicating that 14 percent of Americans firmly believe a civil war could erupt within the next few years.
Given the effect political division has had on American society over the past decade, it is no surprise that most expect some form of violence related to the election – regardless of the outcome. America is a divided nation at the moment, and it does not appear that the rifts will heal anytime soon.
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SOURCE: www.redstate.com
