Amidst the constant barrage of sensational news stories of scandals, legal decisions, and heated political maneuvering, it can be easy to overlook the deep trends shaping American life. For example, do you know how much the constant threat of violence, primarily from MAGA sources, is currently distorting American politics? Wondering why so few people in red America stand up to the MAGA movement head on? If so, do you know the price they will pay if they stand up?
Late last month, I listened to an interesting NPR interview with journalists Michael Isikoff and Daniel Kleidman about their new book, “Find Me the Votes,” about Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. They report that Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis was having trouble finding a lawyer to help prosecute the case against Trump. Even her former Georgia governor turned her down, saying, “Would you want her bodyguard to be with you for the rest of your life?”
He wasn’t exaggerating. Ms. Willis had received so specific an assassination threat that she had to leave her office incognito one night, when her bulletproof-jacketed figure bravely impersonated her and took the shots. It provided her with a possible target.
Do not think for a moment that this is unusual today. Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing President Trump’s federal trial on January 6, was criticized as well as Special Counsel Jack Smith. For those who are unfamiliar, swatting is a horrifying act of intimidation in which someone calls law enforcement and falsely claims that a violent crime is in progress at the target’s address. This will result in heavily armed police being dispatched to private homes as violent clashes are expected. In 2017, a Kansas man lost his life in a stabbing incident.
The Colorado Supreme Court similarly endured severe threats after ruling that Trump was disqualified from voting. The safety of witnesses and jurors in President Trump’s various trials is a serious concern.
Mitt Romney faces so many threats that he spends $5,000 a day on security to protect his family. After Jan. 6, former Republican Rep. Peter Meyer said at least one of his colleagues voted not to certify the election out of fear for his family’s safety. Threats against members of Congress are widespread and have seen a shocking spike since President Trump took office. Last year, the Capitol Police launched more than 8,000 threat assessments, an eightfold increase since 2016.
Nor is this challenge limited to domestic politics. In 2021, Reuters published a damning comprehensive report detailing persistent threats against local election officials. In 2022, she released another report detailing threats against local school boards. In the Tennessee community where I lived, doctors and nurses who insisted on wearing masks in school became targets of screaming threats from right-wing activists, and one man said, “We don’t know who you are.” “I know,” he said, “I’ll definitely find it.”
My own family has experienced some scary nights and scary days over the past few years. We have faced death threats, bombings, clumsy bashing attempts, and disclosures of personal information by white supremacists. People showed up at our house. A man also came to my child’s school. I have interacted with the FBI, Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement. While apparent threats come and go, the sense of threat never completely disappears. We are always looking over our shoulders.
No, the threat of ideological violence does not come only from the right. The destruction associated with the George Floyd protests was too much for us to believe. We have seen attacks and threats from the left against Republicans and conservatives. The surge in anti-Semitic incidents since October 7th is a somber reminder that hate exists on the right and left alike.
But the tsunami of MAGA threats is different. This intimidation is systematic and ubiquitous, a recognized tactic of the Trump right’s strategy, flowing all the way from Donald Trump’s own violent fantasies. It’s rare to meet someone who criticizes Trump in public who hasn’t faced threats or intimidation.
This intimidation drives decent men and women out of public office. They isolate and intimidate opponents. When my family first started facing threats, the people I was most concerned about were my Christian acquaintances, who accused me of being a traitor who had instigated a movement whose members had expressed an overt desire to murder my family. I was determined.
But I don’t want it to be too dark. So let’s end with a point of light. In the summer of 2021, I received very direct threats after writing a series of pieces opposing the ban on teaching critical race theory in public schools. Someone sent my wife an email threatening to shoot me in the face.
My wife and I both knew it was almost certainly a bluff. But we also knew that white supremacists knew our home addresses, we were both out of town, and only our college-age son was home that night. was. So we called the local sheriff, shared the threat, and asked if the police could send someone to check the house.
A few minutes later, a young deputy called to say the house was quiet. I asked him if I could check on him often and he said he would be in front of the house all night. He then asked, “Why did you receive such threats?”
I hesitated before telling him. I was nervous about his reaction because our community is very MAGA. “I’m a columnist. I’ve received a lot of threats since I wrote an article against Donald Trump.”
The lieutenant paused for a moment. “I’m a veteran,” he said. “I volunteered to become a veteran because I believe in the Constitution. I believe in free speech.” And he said something I’ll never forget. “You keep talking and I’ll stand guard.”
I didn’t know the congressman’s policies, and I didn’t need to know. When I heard his words, I thought, this is it. That’s the way. Sometimes we are called to give talks. Sometimes we are called to stand guard. We can always at least comfort those under threat and let them know in words and actions that they are not alone. Then we can endure. Otherwise, the fear would be unbearable for good people.