Bruce Jentleson, William Preston Few distinguished professor of public policy and professor of political science, expressed specific concern about stochastic terrorism — violence driven by hostile public rhetoric — on local levels. “Political violence has been part of our political traditions, more than we want to recognize, and because of the influence of a leader like Donald Trump, we've never before had a leader at that level of politics that has encouraged and tried to legitimize violence,” he said. According to a 2022 study by a political scientist at The Pennsylvania State University, increased acceptance of political violence accompanies heightened partisanship, which is in turn linked to a 34% greater likelihood of political violence.