Democrats are in major trouble. They can’t shake the new reputation they’ve been given.
And this ominous report exposes the Democrat Party for this disturbing trend.
The Rise of “Assassination Culture”: A Troubling Shift in Online Political Rhetoric
A chilling new study has uncovered a dark trend sweeping across the internet: violent political rhetoric, including open calls for the m*rder of figures like President Trump and Elon Musk, is gaining traction and acceptance, especially among left-leaning circles. The findings, detailed in a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), paint a picture of a society where k*lling in the name of politics is no longer a shocking outlier but a disturbingly celebrated idea.
“What was formerly taboo culturally has become acceptable,” Joel Finkelstein, the report’s lead author, said to Fox News Digital. “We are seeing a clear shift — glorification, increased attempts and changing norms — all converging into what we define as ‘assassination culture.’”
The report pinpoints the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by Luigi Mangione, as a turning point. What came afterwards was a flood of memes that transformed Mangione into some sort of hero, sparking a ripple effect of copycat behavior aimed at other high-profile targets tied to wealth and conservative views.
“It’s not just Luigi anymore,” Finkelstein noted. “We’re seeing an expansion: Trump, Musk and others are now being openly discussed as legitimate targets, often cloaked in meme culture and gamified online dialogue.”
The NCRI’s research included a survey of over 1,200 US adults, designed to mirror the nation’s demographics. The results were jarring: 38% of respondents felt m*rdering Trump would be at least “somewhat justified,” while 31% said the same for Musk. Among those identifying as left-leaning, the numbers spiked to 55% for Trump and 48% for Musk. “These are not isolated opinions,” the report warns. “They are part of a tightly connected belief system linked to what we call left-wing authoritarianism.”
Trump, with his wealth, influence, and polarizing persona, emerges as a prime target. “He’s powerful, he’s rich and he’s provocative,” Finkelstein explained. “That puts him on the highest shelf for those who glorify political violence.”
Musk, too, has become a lightning rod, with Tesla dealerships now symbolic battlegrounds. Nearly 40% of respondents saw some justification in destroying one, a sentiment that soared among left-leaning participants.
“Property destruction wasn’t just an outlier opinion, it clustered tightly with support for political assassinations and other forms of violence,” Finkelstein said. “Tesla has become a stand-in for frustrations about capitalism, tech power and conservative politics. Burning down a dealership isn’t just a protest, it’s a performance.”
The study highlights a stark partisan divide. While violent rhetoric exists across the political spectrum, the left showed a 41% higher endorsement of political m*rder compared to right-leaning respondents. Social media platforms like BlueSky, popular among progressives, have become key amplifiers.
“BlueSky was modeled as a safe alternative to Twitter for the left, but what it’s become is an extremist platform,” Finkelstein stated. The site has seen over 200,000 posts and 2 million engagements mentioning Mangione, Trump, and Musk in recent months, while Reddit hosts pro-Mangione groups with tens of thousands of members.
Finkelstein ties this “assassination culture” to a mix of radical ideology and despair, often fueled by electoral setbacks. “When people feel like they have no say, no future and no leadership offering vision, they become susceptible to radical ideation,” he explained. “And that’s when the memes turn into permission structures for real violence.”
A key factor is the belief that life is controlled by external forces, which, when paired with intense partisanship, creates a volatile brew.
Real-world echoes are already emerging, from a California ballot measure dubbed the Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act to vandalism targeting Tesla sites. The NCRI warns that this isn’t just online noise—violence is becoming culturally stylish in some digital corners. Yet Finkelstein sees hope in leadership, not censorship.
“We are not an anti-free speech organization,” he emphasized. “If leaders on the left explicitly condemn these trends and reassert moral norms, they can dismantle this culture quickly. It’s about reminding people there is a future worth striving for that doesn’t involve glorifying political violence.”
The report closes with a stark reality check: economic uncertainty and online echo chambers are fanning the flames of radicalism, shifting the ground beneath us.
“Recognizing that — hearing the sirens — is the first step to stopping it,” Finkelstein said. The NCRI, which bills itself as a “neutral and independent organization whose mission is to identify and forecast cyber-social threats,” urges vigilance as this troubling trend blurs the line between virtual bravado and tangible danger.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
