Let’s stop pretending. The numbers are in, and they’re screaming what many Americans already know in their gut: right-wing extremists are responsible for the vast majority of political violence and murders in the United States. You don’t have to take my word for it — the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) have been tracking the blood trail for decades.
According to the ADL’s Murder and Extremism in the United States reports, every single extremist killing in 2018 came from the far right. That’s right — 100%. Between 2010 and 2022, the ADL found that over 75% of all extremist-related murders were carried out by individuals tied to white supremacist, anti-government, or other right-wing ideologies. Meanwhile, left-wing and anarchist violence barely even registers on the radar — a blip compared to the tidal wave of hate from the far-right fringe that’s become disturbingly mainstream.
The NIJ confirms the same trend: right-wing extremists commit more deadly acts of domestic terrorism than any other group, including those driven by Islamist or left-wing ideologies. They’ve attacked Black churches, Jewish synagogues, immigrant communities, abortion clinics, and even their own government — all under the twisted banner of “patriotism.” The violent rhetoric coming from political leaders, media personalities, and online conspiracy cults fuels this rage like gasoline on a bonfire.
And let’s not sugarcoat it — these extremists aren’t random outliers. They’re the product of a political ecosystem that winks and nods at violence, that waves flags while breaking laws, and that shouts “freedom” while terrorizing their neighbors. When members of Congress downplay insurrections or share platforms with hate groups, they’re not protecting democracy — they’re enabling domestic terrorism.
So, the next time someone tries to claim “the left is more violent,” hand them a calculator and a clue. The data doesn’t lie — but the people trying to twist it sure do.
References
- Anti-Defamation League. (2023). Murder and Extremism in the United States 2022. Retrieved from https://www.adl.org
- National Institute of Justice. (2022). What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism. Retrieved from https://nij.ojp.gov
- Center for Strategic and International Studies. (2022). The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.csis.org
