Violence and threats of violence have become inherent to Trumpian politics

I apologize for the length of this column, but the subject warrants it. Donald Trump has galvanized an army of vigilantes who are casting a fearsome shadow over the 2024 election. Please spread the word.

It’s impossible to know how large this potential army is--but last October, 41% of pro-Trump Americans agreed with the statement that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” (That view was shared by 22% of independents and 13% of Democrats.)

The day after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows barred Trump from the primary ballot there in late December, her home was “swatted.” As Bellows explained, “That’s when someone calls in a fake emergency to evoke a strong law enforcement response to scare the target. Swatting incidents have resulted in casualties, although, thankfully, this one did not.”

Along with the swatting, Bellows discussed “extraordinarily dehumanizing fake images” of her online:

“I know from my previous work that dehumanizing a person is the first step in paving the way for attacks and violence against them. These dehumanizing images and threatening communications directed at me and the people I love are dangerous. We should be able to agree to disagree on important issues without threats and violence.”

Colorado Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold has also faced mounting threats since the Colorado Supreme Court, in December, disqualified Trump from the state’s primary ballot.

“Within three weeks of the lawsuit being filed, I received 64 death threats,” Griswold said. “I stopped counting after that. I will not be intimidated. Democracy and peace will triumph over tyranny and violence.”