Left-wing terror attacks reach record highs in 2025, CSIS study finds

A Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis released this week finds that left-wing terror attacks in the United States are on track to reach record highs in 2025, driven largely by anti-government and partisan extremism in opposition to the Trump administration. The CSIS dataset reviewed 750 terrorist attacks and plots in the United States from 1994 through July 4, 2025. Through that date, there were five left-wing attacks or plots, excluding the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the attack on a Dallas ICE detention facility. That tally is more than eight times the long-term average of roughly 0.6 left-wing incidents per year observed from 1995 to 2000. For the first time in about three decades, left-wing violence is outpacing violence attributed to the extreme right, the CSIS analysis found. The rise in left-wing violence is described in the study as linked to opposition to the Trump administration and to state institutions carrying out its agenda. \n\n\n\nThe study notes that the increase in left-wing violence since 2016 correlates with sustained political pushback against the administration, particularly in contexts involving immigration and immigration enforcement. Among the incidents cited are cases tied to anti-government or partisan extremism, including an event connected to the assassination of a public figure who had supported government actions against dissent and a shell casing bearing a provocative message observed in one linked case. The report also references a high-profile incident linked to anti-immigration sentiment, such as a violent attack at a Dallas ICE detention facility. The authors emphasize that political leaders are not responsible for individual extremists in their ranks, but they are responsible for how they respond to and condemn such extremism, calling on both sides to reject violence and to promote calm when disputes involve the other side.\n\nThe CSIS authors note that, in contrast to the left, some right-wing violence appears to have declined, a trend they say may reflect a perception among some extremists that their concerns are being addressed through policy or political engagement rather than violence. The dataset covers a broad time span from the mid-1990s to mid-2025, enabling researchers to analyze patterns over multiple presidential administrations.\n\nThe report highlights several contextual factors shaping this year’s uptick, including a political climate that has featured intense rhetoric from opposition movements and intensified public scrutiny of federal immigration policies. One case cited in the analysis involves the assassination that appears to align with anti-government or partisan-extremist motives, along with other incidents that the study characterizes as motivated by distrust of state institutions carrying out federal policy. The authors caution that while leaders are not responsible for the actions of individuals, they influence the environment in which extremism can flourish and therefore bear responsibility for encouraging nonviolence and for condemning violence on all sides.\n\nIn discussing implications, the authors urge media, policymakers, and civil society to condemn violence from all factions, to promote civil discourse, and to support institutions that safeguard democratic norms. They also call for further research to monitor trends in domestic extremism and to develop responses that reduce the appeal of violence as a tool for political change. The CSIS dataset remains a work in progress, with updates expected as new incidents occur and are verified.\n\nThe study references a series of events that have shaped the current atmosphere, including a high-profile incident in 2024 involving an assassination attempt on a political leader at a rally, and ongoing investigations related to violent incidents tied to both anti-government and anti-immigration sentiments. The researchers stress that while spikes in violence are alarming, they should be understood within a broader historical framework of political violence in the United States.\n\nOverall, the CSIS report presents a sobering view of domestic extremism in 2025, while underscoring the importance of leaders, media, and communities working together to reduce the appeal of violence and to reinforce commitment to lawful, democratic processes. The authors reiterate that de-escalation and accountability across the political spectrum are essential to preventing further harm as the year unfolds.\n\n