Half of Liberals Say Assassinating Trump and Musk is ‘Justified’ in Shocking Poll

A stunning new report reveals what many Americans feared: the radical left is normalizing political assassination—and former President Donald J. Trump is their top target.

A poll released Monday by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), in partnership with Rutgers University, shows a disturbing trend: 55% of left-leaning respondents said they believe it is “at least somewhat justified” to murder Trump. Nearly half said the same about Elon Musk, the outspoken billionaire who now serves in Trump’s Cabinet as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Let that sink in. Over half of liberals surveyed openly justify the idea of killing a former—and possibly future—President of the United States.

“This is not just political disagreement. This is assassination culture,” said Dr. Joel Finkelstein, co-founder of NCRI. “These aren’t fringe opinions anymore. They are seeping into mainstream leftist circles and online communities.”

The findings come less than a year after two attempts on Trump’s life—including one in July 2024, where he was shot in the head and nearly killed during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman, a 20-year-old radicalized leftist, was killed by Secret Service on-site, but not before taking the life of a Trump supporter in the crowd. In September, another plot was foiled in Michigan just minutes before Trump took the stage.

According to the NCRI report, platforms like BlueSky and other fringe social networks have become digital breeding grounds for pro-violence rhetoric. “In these spaces, assassination isn’t just discussed—it’s celebrated, stylized, and gamified,” the report warned.

The rise in violent rhetoric echoes a deeper cultural shift. UK political scientist Eric Kaufmann reported last year that one-third of Democrats openly wished the first assassination attempt on Trump had succeeded.

It’s not just Trump. The left’s rage is also aimed at Musk, who has become a hero to many conservatives for exposing government censorship at Twitter (now X) and pushing back against climate alarmism and woke corporate culture. The NCRI found that 39% of Americans believe it’s at least “somewhat acceptable” to burn down a Tesla dealership in protest.

“This kind of radicalization is a direct result of unchecked liberal media narratives and academic indoctrination,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). “They’ve created a generation of young Americans who don’t just dislike conservatives—they think violence is virtuous.”

President Trump, who returned to the campaign trail just weeks after the July shooting, responded Tuesday in a brief statement: “We are a nation of laws, not lawlessness. But the radical left is driving our country into madness. We will restore law, order, and peace—and we will win like never before.”

Trump’s team has since increased security measures at rallies and campaign events, working closely with Secret Service to prevent further attacks.

Despite the shocking statistics, mainstream media outlets have largely ignored or downplayed the NCRI findings. Imagine if 55% of conservatives had said it was “justified” to murder Barack Obama or Joe Biden. There would be wall-to-wall coverage and congressional hearings. But when the threats target Trump or Musk, the response from the left is silence—or worse, approval.

“This should be a five-alarm fire in every newsroom,” said constitutional attorney Harmeet Dhillon. “Instead, it’s shrugged off. That’s the real scandal.”

As Trump continues his campaign to retake the White House, the left’s dangerous flirtation with political violence must be confronted. This isn’t just about polls—it’s about the future of the republic. The American people have a choice: reject the culture of hate or continue down a path where disagreement is met not with debate, but with bullets.