The data on political violence doesn't match the headlines

Jul 20, 2026 · 39 min · 11 segments

While political leaders frame left-wing extremism as the rising domestic terror threat, the actual data (who commits violence, against whom, and why) points in a more uncomfortable direction. This…

While political leaders frame left-wing extremism as the rising domestic terror threat, the actual data (who commits violence, against whom, and why) points in a more uncomfortable direction. This week on Conflicts of Interest, Clionadh Raleigh and Bron Mills break down what ACLED's data reveals about political violence in the United States and beyond: - Is the far left genuinely becoming a greater security threat, or is the danger being overstated for political gain? - What does the data actually say about violence committed by far-right vs far-left actors? - Why does the perception of the threat diverge so sharply from the reality? - How does partisan framing of national security distort counterterrorism priorities? They also discuss the rising tide of violence against politicians and local officials, the Trump administration's latest gender politics in the US military, and the accelerating trend of everything — from national security to football — becoming partisan. For more conversations like this, subscribe to *Conflicts of Interest* and watch the full episode on YouTube. **Conflicts of Interest:** https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictsOfInterestACLED 📱 Did you know you can follow Conflicts of Interest on TikTok?

While political leaders frame left-wing extremism as the rising domestic terror threat, the actual data (who commits violence, against whom, and why) points in a more uncomfortable direction. This…