Q&A of the Day – Are There More Left Wing or Right Wing Threats?
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Social: @brianmuddradio
iHeartRadio: Use the Talkback feature – the microphone button on our station page in the iHeart app.
Today’s entry: Submitted via talkback: Hey, Brian, love the show. Love you, Joel. Brian, can you help me out with right-wing extremist attack statistics? Last week, Tarlov and Gutfeld got into it. She cited some studies saying that right-wing attacks were far more prevalent. Fetterman came out trying to tone down left wing extremism but cited a study from the Center for Strategic Studies, or CSIS, and even that showed that there were far more right wing attacks. Are there far more right wing attacks? It seems counterintuitive, but maybe you can help me out with that. Thanks, buddy.
Bottom Line: This is a great question, as it’s not only a hot topic of debate in the wake of the assignation culture we’ve sadly seen play out in recent years, but it’s also a topic that’s easily manipulated and often is when discussed. I’ll start with addressing the report you’ve referenced from the Center For Strategic & International Studies. The report, which was released following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, is entitled: Left-Wing Terrorism and Political Violence in the United States: What the Data Tells Us.
In that CSIS study here are key points:
- From 1994 through 2000, there was an average of 0.6 left-wing incidents annually; in the following decade, that figure doubled to 1.3 a year. Numbers began to grow substantially, however, in 2016, and from 2016 to 2024, they averaged 4.0 a year. Through July 4, 2025 (thus excluding the Kirk attack), there were five left-wing attacks or plots, which sets a trajectory for a record-breaking year in the last 30 years.
Therefore, by their definition, left wing violence has reached record levels in the United States this year. However, in the same study, over the prior ten years (2016-2025) 152 so-called “right wing” attacks had taken place compared to only 35 by “left wing” extremists. With that said, this year their study shows five “left wing” attacks compared with only 1 “right wing” attack this year. Should that hold, it would be the first time in the 31-year history of this study that left wing violence would be higher than right wing violence.
Another key source for related information is the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL produces an annual report entitled: Murder and Extremism in the United States. The ADL’s most recent report, which includes information from 2015-2024 – is even more extreme in its characterizations. According to the ADL, 76% of all deaths resulting from extremism over the prior ten years were due to “Right Wing” Extremism – with only 4%! By “Left Wing” Extremism.
Notably, while both reports indicate far more “right wing” violence, than “left wing” violence, there’s a considerable disparity between the two reports that overlap for 9 of the 10 years in focus. So how could that be the case? The significant disparity between the two reports is indicative of what’s most responsible for the narrative that there’s more “right wing” extremism than “left wing” extremism. Subjectivity by those classifying extremist attacks. I’ll explain.
Over the prior decade the largest rise in violent extremism has been against Jews, and most commonly, by white supremacists. Attacks by white supremacists have been categorized as “right wing”. This is notable, because for example, according to Gallup, 75% of Republicans are supportive of Israel, the Jewish state, and Jewish people more broadly, while only 21% of Democrats are supportive of Israel – with 59% of Democrats supporting “Palestinians” over Israeli's. Related, American Jews, according to surveying by the American Jewish Committee believe that Republicans are addressing antisemitism better than Democrats.
The matter of antisemitism isn’t the only issue that can be called into question regarding what’s defined as “left wing” vs. “right wing” extremism, however it’s a massive one. Evidence suggests antisemitism is a problem largely of the Left, yet the violence when it ensues, has almost entirely been characterized as “right wing” violence. In total 75% of all violence defined as “right wing” over the prior decade was conducted by white supremacists. Beyond that massive question of the accounting of antisemitic attacks, there are also massive gaps in what most of us would identify as “left wing” violence. The Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 are significant omissions in data as are many ANTIFA attacks/riots.
Due to these factors it’s easy for false narratives to be created, but really what it gets down to is who the arbiter of the data keeping is, what bucket they chose to put violent acts in, in addition to what attacks are omitted from being viewed ideologically.
What we know based on the most recent study conducted by the Network Contagion Research Insitute and Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab, is that in general, there’s a far greater tolerance and even appetite for political violence on the Left.
Quoting the study’s findings: The data reveal a structured endorsement of political violence targeting figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. These attitudes are not fringe—they reflect an emergent assassination culture, grounded in far-left authoritarianism and increasingly normalized in digital discourse. This report points to disturbingly high levels of support for political violence, particularly targeting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Across survey responses, nearly one-third of respondents—and a significantly higher share of left-leaning respondents—expressed some degree of justification for acts of lethal violence.
There are two sides to stories and one side to facts. Those are the facts.