Stop pretending that the violence is only coming from the Left, and it's "left-wing rhetoric" that's causing the violence.
Here is a THREAD of all of the tragic and almost tragic cases of "the right" attacking "the left."
2018 - Republican Cesar Sayoc mailed IEDs to Obama, Biden, Clinton, CNN and other Trump critics; pled guilty to 65 felonies; sentenced to 20 years. His social media accounts were filled with pro-Trump, anti-Democrat, and conspiratorial posts. He frequently attacked liberals, immigrants, and journalists, and he embraced conspiracy theories popular on the far right. His bombs were sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of Trump, such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, George Soros, and CNN, which aligns with the rhetoric of the political right at the time.
2021 - Right-wing radical Ian Rogers planned to firebomb the California Democratic Party HQ after the 2020 election; He was convicted and sentenced (108 months).
The FBI said his goal was to “start a movement” against Democrats and ignite a second civil war. Rogers was found with 45 to 50 firearms and 15,000 rounds of ammunition at his home and business.
He also had “white supremacist” and “right-wing extremist” propaganda, including material praising Hitler. Investigators uncovered his belief that Trump had actually won the 2020 election.
2022 - David DePape was radicalized by the far-right before attacking Paul Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi’s husband) with a hammer.
DePape broke into Nancy Pelosi’s home, and told police he intended to kidnap the then-Speaker. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 years on federal charges.
He repeatedly posted far-right extremist rhetoric online:
- QAnon conspiracy theories (about “Satanic pedophiles” and elites).
- Election denialism — believed the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
- COVID-19 disinformation — anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown rhetoric.
- Anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant views.
He had a list of targets, including other politicians, academics, and public figures often demonized by right-wing media.
FBI testimony and his own writings showed he was radicalized by conservative conspiracy ecosystems online.
2023 - Pro-Trump far-right extremist Craig DeLeeuw Robertson was shot by FBI agents as they served a warrant after numerous assassination threats against Biden and other officials.
His social media was full of threats against Democrats, liberals, and federal officials.
He posted violent fantasies and explicit threats against:
- President Joe Biden
- Vice President Kamala Harris
- Attorney General Merrick Garland
- Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg (who indicted Trump)
- Other Democratic politicians and FBI agents.
He regularly echoed conspiracy theories about election fraud, “deep state” plots, and the idea that Democrats were illegitimate.
He was a registered Republican and staunch Trump supporter.
2017 - Far-right conservative James Alex Fields Jr. intentionally killed Heather Heyer, a progressive activist at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. He was radicalized by neo-Nazi ideology.
His act of violence targeted left-wing, progressive counter-protesters who opposed white supremacy.
In 2019, Fields was sentenced to life in prison in federal court after pleading guilty to 29 hate crime charges.
He also received a state sentence of life plus 419 years for murder and related crimes.
2017 - Trump supporter, Islamophobe, and far-right white supremacist, Jeremy Christian, targeted two Muslim teenage girls — one was Black, the other was Somali-American and wearing a hijab.
He was convicted of two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and hate crime charges in 2020.
His words and social media history show he was motivated by far-right. He praised Hitler, Timothy McVeigh, and Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Far-right extremist Patrick Crusius, who's manifesto echoed Trump's rhetoric about immigrants being invaders, murdered 23 in an anti-Latino attack tied to “invasion/replacement” rhetoric; pled guilty to 90 federal counts (90 consecutive life sentences).
He cited Trump policies approvingly. His manifesto and attack were directly tied to rhetoric common in far-right and Trumpist circles at the time, especially the word “invasion” to describe immigration.
Trump supporter Vance Luther Boelter shot Minnesota Democratic legislators and their spouses. He killed State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Horton. He also shot State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
There are reports from his friends that he voted for Donald Trump and attended Trump campaign rallies. Authorities believe abortion was a motivating issue. The lists of targets include abortion providers and pro-choice advocates, which suggests ideological/moral motivations.
In his car, authorities found a list of about 70 potential targets, including abortion providers, pro-abortion rights advocates, and Democratic politicians.
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