Worries mount over political violence in US ahead of midterm elections
Fears of political violence are growing in the United States ahead of next week's midterm elections, with US security officials saying unconstrained disinformation and political vitriol is fuel for attacks, such as the one on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s mansion.
David DePape broke into Pelosi's home in San Francisco on Friday night and severely beat her 82-year-old husband Paul. DePape has now been charged with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping of a public official.
The attack came one week before midterm congressional elections, as politicians and poll workers have reported a spike in threat messages and intimidation.
Those include, in Arizona, armed men patrolling ballot drop boxes, alarming people trying to vote.
"Election-related perceptions of fraud and DVE reactions to divisive topics will likely drive sporadic DVE plotting of violence and broader efforts to justify violence in the lead up to and following the 2022 midterm election cycle," US security agencies have said in a joint intelligence bulletin.
Talk of political violence surged after former president Donald Trump refused to accept his election defeat by Joe Biden in November 2020, resulting in the attack on the US Capitol by the former president’s supporters on January 6, 2021.
Last week, Trump urged voters in Robstown, Texas, not to trust the polls, calling Pelosi "crazy" and saying "Biden and the far left lunatics are waging war on Texas."
"Biden and his left wing handlers are turning America into a police state," he asserted, repeating his unfounded claim that "January 6th was caused because of a crooked stolen election."
Threats of political violence have risen tenfold in the five years since Trump’s election, with 9,625 incidents documented in 2021, according to the New York Times.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if a senator or House member were killed,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told the Times. “What started with abusive phone calls is now translating into active threats of violence and real violence.”
In addition to the attack at Pelosi’s home, there have been other incidents, including the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 over the state’s Covid-19 protocols and the series of homemade explosives Trump fan Cesar Sayoc sent to prominent Democrats ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
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