"There have been multiple times that I've thought: [our town] is going to get put on the map when somebody comes to kill me." In the wake of a series of high-profile political violence incidents, new BDI interview research explores how local officials are navigating the elevated risk environment.

What happens when political violence shifts from isolated tragedies to a persistent feature of American civic life?

There’s a lot to learn from these 10 experts on political violence. www.politico.com/news/magazin...

After the deadly attack on Minnesota state lawmakers in June, I broke down BDI's research on steps communities can take to respond to the risk of political violence for @justsecurity.org. Many of those same lessons apply now. We don't have to accept this climate of hostility as our new normal.

Can America escape its spiral of political violence? 10 experts in the US and abroad give their takes on what comes next👇

Michael speaks with Shannon Hiller, Executive Director of the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton, about the alarming rise in threats and harassment against local officials—from school board members to township supervisors. Hear the #podcast 🎧➡️ https://loom.ly/7l3hQnE

NJ to regulate campaign spending on security as political violence mounts newjerseymonitor.com/briefs/nj-to...

My colleagues @brookings.edu wrote on the rise of political violence in the US They explain important ways we can prevent rising violence 2 protect the health of our democracy Read more👇-TN www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...

Political violence is a threat to the safety & security of Americans & democracy. My @brookings.edu piece addresses the rise of political violence, harassment & intimidation. We recommend tools/strategies to combat, prevent, respond to this growing threat. www.brookings.edu/articles/pol...

Who’s running for office? Amid a rise in threats of political violence and harassment, parents with young kids are increasingly weighing the risks. 19thnews.org/2025/08/pare...

Persistent harassment and threats of violence may be impacting who decides to become an elected official or candidate — especially for parents of young children.

"Since COVID, threats to local school officials have nearly tripled, research finds. Cases corresponded with national attacks on DEI initiatives as well as on LGBTQ+ policies." BDI's new report featured in @npr.org

New research from our team at BDI finds that more than 1 in 3 local school board officials experienced hostility last year. Reported cases of threats and harassment targeting school officials increased 170% from 2022 to 2025. But impacted officials are also developing strategies to mitigate risk.

Researchers at Princeton University say some instances corresponded with national attacks on DEI initiatives as well as on LGBTQ+ policies and that the targets held a variety of political views.

Extremists Links: Elected officials have increasingly become the target violence, and harassment has become a 'predictable part of public service — so common it often goes unreported.'

Our newly expanded BDI-CivicPulse survey finds that local elected officials are looking for additional resources to mitigate the escalating risk of threats and violence, including enhanced privacy protections, personal security, and tools to manage conflict during public meetings.

(1/3) Catch up on our recent analysis: • Israel / Iran • Political violence • U.S. military deployment • Trump executive actions • Public health • European security • Corruption • United Nations / Counterterrorism • Series: Gender & protests in Iran www.justsecurity.org/114795/diges...

Last weekend’s attack on two Minnesota lawmakers marks a deadly escalation of political violence in the U.S. and comes during a period of elevated threats against officials around the country. For @justsecurity.org, I broke down BDI’s latest research into steps communities can take to respond.

In the aftermath of the Minnesota attacks, how can communities respond to the growing threat of political violence? @samajones.bsky.social and Roudabeh Kishi offer a range of ideas, from expanding access to security funding to collaborative threat monitoring www.justsecurity.org/114944/minne...

The targeted shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers this weekend underscore a grim trend: An increasingly volatile political climate has left state and local officials more exposed than ever to threats and harassment.

"Violent threats against lawmakers hit a record high last year, for the second year in a row. As of April, there have been more than 170 incidents of threats and harassment targeting local officials across nearly 40 states this year, according to data gathered by BDI at Princeton University."

Political officials are facing more and more threats and harassment. (some ups and downs, but the secular trend is up) This is... not good. bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/threats-and-...

Yesterday's attack targeting two Minnesota state lawmakers marks a deadly escalation of political violence in the U.S. and comes during a period of elevated threats against public officials at all levels of government.

"Hostility against public officials is on the rise.... The impact is clear: many officials are withdrawing from civic engagement, avoiding work on controversial issues, and reconsidering public service altogether due to safety concerns." bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/updates/2025...

Despite threats from the administration, protests in support of immigrant rights are reaching record numbers. "More than 700 immigration-related demonstrations have taken place in the United States in 2025, according to data and analysis from ACLED and BDI."

More than 700 immigration-related demonstrations have already taken place across the U.S. this year. Over 250 were reported in a single week — five times more than the previous weekly peak in 2020.

Our friends over at BDI just released this report showing that the number of immigration protests is way up. Almost all of them were pro-immigrant. bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/issue-brief-...

Threat and harassment incidents against local public officials increased by 40% last month, new BDI data shows. The rise was fueled in part by a spike in threats targeting local school officials related to national debates over education policy and DEI initiatives.

Immigration-related demonstrations are hitting record levels this year, new BDI analysis finds. Communities in all 50 states have mobilized to support immigrant rights, advocate for local safety initiatives, and push back on dehumanizing rhetoric that raises the risk of violence.

Our team at the Princeton University Bridging Divides Initiative documented more than 600 incidents of threats and harassment targeting local public officials around the United States in 2024 — an increase of 10% from 2023.

"Taking this blanket approach to pardons for individuals who attempted to forcefully overturn the results of a fair election sets a dangerous precedent that raises the risk of future political violence."

There is a lot going on. But take a moment and read these considerations from experts on what the January 6 clemencies may mean going forward. I'm going to thread out a few of their observations, which @dwj88.bsky.social and I collected for @justsecurity.org:

How might President Trump’s clemencies for #January6th rioters influence future acts of political violence? @dwj88.bsky.social and @justinhendrix.bsky.social asked nine experts for their views. www.justsecurity.org/107288/nine-...

New resource from my org: Examines 5 key political violence trends that emerged in 2024, evaluates how these risk factors will evolve in 2025, & elevates 3 effective resilience & response strategies that can inform mitigation efforts going forward: bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/updates/2025...

New report from our team at the Bridging Divides Initiative identifies 5 key political violence trends from 2024, assesses how these risks are likely to evolve in 2025, and elevates 3 effective response strategies to inform ongoing mitigation efforts. bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/key-politica...