*A new report from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) sheds light on a disturbing rise in left-wing extremist rhetoric online, where violence, including the assassination of political and tech figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, is increasingly being discussed and justified.
As The New York Post reports, NCRI lead researcher Joel Finkelstein warns that this growing “assassination culture” is no longer confined to fringe circles but is rapidly becoming normalized, especially among Democrats and radical leftists. “What was formerly taboo culturally has become acceptable,” he told Fox News Digital.
The trend allegedly gained momentum following the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which sparked online hero worship of the suspect, Luigi Mangione. Since then, memes glorifying political violence have proliferated, with copycat discussions targeting conservative public figures.
“It’s not just Luigi anymore,” Finkelstein said. “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 survey of over 1,200 U.S. adults found that 38% believe killing Trump would be at least “somewhat justified,” a figure that jumps to 55% among left-leaning respondents. The same pattern holds for Musk, with 31% overall and 48% on the left expressing similar views. The study ties these sentiments to a broader left-wing authoritarian mindset, where acts like vandalizing Tesla dealerships are seen not just as protests, but as performances of group loyalty.
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“Burning down a dealership isn’t just a protest,” said Finkelstein. “It’s a performance, a signal of belonging to a radical in-group.”
Platforms like BlueSky, originally designed as a progressive alternative to Twitter, are flagged as accelerants of this ideology, with NCRI tracking more than 200,000 posts and over 2 million engagements involving Mangione, Trump, and Musk. Finkelstein emphasizes that although violent rhetoric exists across the spectrum, the data shows a “statistically higher endorsement of political murder on the left.”
“Trump represents the perfect target for assassination culture. He’s powerful, he’s rich and he’s provocative,” Finkelstein told Fox News Digital. “That puts him on the highest shelf for those who glorify political violence.”
He concludes that censorship won’t solve the issue, but moral leadership from liberal figures might.
“If leaders on the left explicitly condemn these trends and reassert moral norms, they can dismantle this culture quickly,” he said.
The report warns that political violence is becoming not just tolerated, but trendy in some online spaces.
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