# Views on political violence

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/politics/where-adults-draw-the-line-on-political-violence/
Published: 2026-05-12

> Featured topic in Politics.

About 86% say assault for an aligned political cause is unacceptable, and 82% say the same when the cause is one they disagree with.

## Overview: Political violence

Political violence is not just narrowly unpopular in this survey. Adults reject it across both versions of the scenario.

About 86% say it is unacceptable for someone to physically assault another person in support of a political cause they agree with. About 82% say assault is unacceptable when the cause is one they disagree with.

## Supportive causes do not make assault acceptable

When the political cause is one respondents agree with, 78% call assault completely unacceptable and another 8% call it somewhat unacceptable.

Only about 7% say assault is acceptable in that aligned-cause scenario.

## Opposition to the cause does not change the pattern

The rejection is similar when the political cause is one respondents disagree with: 77% say assault is completely unacceptable and 5% say it is somewhat unacceptable.

Acceptance remains low in that scenario too, at about 6%.

## The result is a broad boundary

The paired questions suggest that the boundary is about political violence itself, not only about whether respondents like the cause involved.

## Supporting evidence

### 86% say assault for a political cause they agree with is unacceptable.

Question: How acceptable would it be for someone to physically assault another person in support of a political cause you agree with (e.g., abortion, gun rights, gender-affirming care)?

Note: Shows acceptability of physical assault for a political cause the respondent agrees with.

Topline:

- Completely unacceptable: 78.1%
- Somewhat unacceptable: 7.9%
- Neither unacceptable nor acceptable: 7.1%
- Somewhat acceptable: 4.7%
- Completely acceptable: 2.2%

### 82% say assault for a political cause they disagree with is unacceptable.

Question: How acceptable would it be for someone to physically assault another person in support of a political cause you disagree with (e.g., abortion, gun rights, gender-affirming care)?

Note: Shows acceptability of physical assault for a political cause the respondent disagrees with.

Topline:

- Completely unacceptable: 77.4%
- Neither unacceptable nor acceptable: 11.5%
- Somewhat unacceptable: 4.8%
- Somewhat acceptable: 3.6%
- Completely acceptable: 2.7%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- Base (unweighted): 504
- Margin of error: +/- 4.6%
- Module: politics
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Sources

- [How acceptable would it be for someone to physically assault another person in support of a political cause you agree with (e.g., abortion, gun rights, gender-affirming care)?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-4.29): reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26: Shows acceptability of physical assault for a political cause the respondent agrees with.
- [How acceptable would it be for someone to physically assault another person in support of a political cause you disagree with (e.g., abortion, gun rights, gender-affirming care)?](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-4.29): reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26: Shows acceptability of physical assault for a political cause the respondent disagrees with.

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=504 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-4.29](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-4.29)