This weekend, two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota were attacked at their homes in what officials say appears to be a “politically motivated assassination attempt.” Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed, while Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette were shot and wounded. A purported “hit list” found in the suspect’s vehicle, which lists over 70 Democratic politicians and abortion rights advocates, indicates the potential ideological motivations in what might be a targeted act of political violence.
Experts at the George Washington University are available to provide commentary and analysis on Saturday’s event. To speak with an expert, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Shannon Mitchell at shannon [dot] mitchellgwu [dot] edu (shannon[dot]mitchell[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Law
Mary Anne Franks, Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Civil Rights Law at the George Washington University Law School. Franks is an international expert on the intersection of civil rights, free speech, and technology. Dr. Franks is the President and Legislative & Tech Policy Director of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating online abuse and discrimination.
Program on Extremism
Jon Lewis and Luke Baumgartner, research fellows at the George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. Both can discuss how the embrace of violent and dehumanizing rhetoric by elected officials and prominent public figures creates the conditions for individuals to justify their real-world acts of political violence. They can also detail the trends in threats to public officials, the role of social media as a radicalizing factor, and the evolution of domestic extremist lone actor violence in recent years.
Lewis studies domestic violent extremism and homegrown violent extremism, with a specialization in the evolution of white supremacist and anti-government movements in the United States and federal responses to the threat. Baumgartner researches domestic violent extremism, white supremacist movements, and the role of military veterans in political violence.
Rise of the Far Right
Peter Loge, director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications. Loge currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at the School of Media and Public Affairs and continues to advise advocates and organizations. He can speak to the factors behind the administration’s desires to orchestrate such a large-scale military parade.
“Apocalyptic and absolutist political rhetoric grabs headlines and fosters violence. As Supreme Court Justice and Civil War veteran Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, "certitude leads to violence." The point of democracy is that we decide things by arguing, not shooting. The more political violence we have, the less democracy we have” said Loge.
Matt Dallek, Professor of Political Management at The Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University. Dallek is a political historian with an expertise at the intersection of social crises and political transformation and the evolution of the modern conservative movement. He is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.
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