A study published in the journal PLOS One found that while most Americans reject political violence, their support for it varies significantly based on political affiliation. Researchers led by Garen J. Wintemute from the University of California, Davis, surveyed 8,620 U.S. adults between May 13 and June 2, 2022. The study examined participants’ political beliefs, views on democracy, and their willingness to support or engage in political violence. Political violence, as defined in the study, refers to the use of physical force to achieve political goals, which can include actions like targeted attacks or terrorism. Participants were asked whether they believed violence was justified in various scenarios, including situations like "returning Donald Trump to the presidency this year." The findings showed that a higher percentage of Republicans (35.3–49.5%) than Democrats (24.7–26.7%) considered violence justified in at least one of the scenarios. Republicans also endorsed the use of violence for more specific political objectives than Democrats. Additionally, strong Republicans were more likely than strong Democrats to expect they would be armed in a future situation involving political violence. Despite these differences in support for political violence, the study found that both Republicans and Democrats were similarly unlikely to personally engage in such actions. Fewer than 3% of all respondents said they were "very or completely willing" to use violence on another person for political reasons. The researchers noted that they made statistical adjustments to improve the accuracy of their findings, emphasizing that the sample represented only about 0.0025% of the U.S. population. The researchers also considered the U.S. political climate in 2022, which included the war in Ukraine and high-profile mass shootings in New York and Texas. These events may have influenced participants’ responses. The authors observed that similar trends persisted in follow-up surveys through mid-2026. They concluded that while there are differences in support for political violence based on political affiliation, the majority of Americans across the political spectrum reject such actions. They suggested that efforts could be made to foster a cultural norm in which political violence is widely considered unacceptable.