Last year, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a brief analysing trends in anti-government domestic terrorism in the United States. Their research showed that, while there were peaks and troughs in the number of domestic terrorist attacks and plots over the 30-year period from 1994-2023, there was a significant uptick in politically motivated attacks from 2016-2023. This data does not include the assassination attempts on President Trump in 2024, the killing of the Minnesota state legislator and her husband in June this year or the recent killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, all of which show a continued trend in increasing political violence.

From 1994-2015, the researchers found the overarching motivation in political attacks was general anti-government sentiment. But from 2016 onwards there has been a significant shift towards partisan motivation, largely driven by online conspiracy theories.

Authorities are still investigating the motive for Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has said that Robinson had a “leftist ideology” and also noted Robinson’s involvement in “deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture.” The messages on the bullet casings have prompted speculation about their meanings from meme and game culture, with some pointing to potential online extremist meanings. The clearest indication about motive so far came in text messages shared in court documents filed on Tuesday, where Robinson said, "I had enough of this hatred" in response to the question about why he shot Kirk.

While the motivation behind Robinson’s actions is unclear, Kirk’s assassination has driven an even larger wedge between the political parties in the United States. President Trump has blamed the “radical left group of lunatics” while a moment of silence in the House of Representatives for Charlie Kirk devolved into a shouting match between Republicans and Democrats. Legislators like Senator Bernie Sanders have called for an end to political violence and exhorted people to “welcome and respect dissenting points of view.” However, until something major changes on the national stage, it does not look like there will be a shift away from the politically motivated attacks in the United States.