Left-Wing Violence Outpaces Far-Right in 2025

A new Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis, reported by outlets including WBUR and The Atlantic, finds that in 2025 left-wing political violence in the U.S. has outpaced far-right attacks for the first time in more than 30 years. Researchers and authorities point to a string of recent incidents tied to that trend, including a July 4 attack on an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas; the Dallas ICE detention shooting — where investigators recovered shell casings engraved "anti-ICE" and federal authorities said the attack may have been politically motivated; the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson; and multiple attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump. Conservative outlets reported that a left-wing activist known as "Syl" allegedly doxxed ICE Director Todd M. Lyons, prompting condemnation from ICE and concerns about online targeting translating into real-world threats. President Trump told Fox News two days after the Kirk killing that the left should not "energize" the right and warned "it's gonna get worse," comments critics called an implicit threat and an excuse for violence. Federal investigators have pledged a "whole-of-government" response, and experts attribute the shift to a decline in far-right attacks combined with a modest rise in left-wing violence, warning 2025 could see an unusual uptick if trends continue. The developments have prompted calls for de-escalatory rhetoric and coordinated federal action.