We Arrive at My Fear

Erick Erickson on Sep 26, 2025

A philosophical festering has taken root in the minds of the left that their opponents are evil, and words are violence. A permission structure formed on MSNBC and other progressive media outlets that the right must be stopped to save democracy. An exculpatory structure formed on CNN and other media outlets downplaying or excusing progressive violence. A triggering event happened with the election of President Donald Trump. Then progressive politicians amped up the rhetoric to push the disturbed and violent across the line.

Writing in The New York Times in 2017, the psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett argued that, "If words can cause stress, and if prolonged stress can cause physical harm, then it seems that speech -- at least certain types of speech -- can be a form of violence." Responding in The Atlantic, Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff wrote, "It tells them that words, ideas, and speakers can literally kill them. Even worse: At a time of rapidly rising political polarization in America, it helps a small subset of that generation justify political violence."

They concluded, "The conflation of words with violence is not a new or progressive idea invented on college campuses in the last two years. It is an ancient and regressive idea. Americans should all be troubled that it is becoming popular again -- especially on college campuses, where it least belongs."

Words became violence. Concurrent to Thomas Matthew Crooks pulling the trigger on his gun in Butler, PA, MSNBC had on a commentator arguing that Trump was a threat to democracy and needed to be stopped. Frequently, progressive historian Michael Beschloss appeared on Morning Joe on that network, decrying Trump. On Election Day 2024, Beschloss described that day to the Morning Joe crew as, "In the future, historians are gonna look back on this day and say this is the day America chose between freedom and democracy on one side and authoritarianism and dictatorship on the other." Then Trump won.

On Jan. 8, 2011, Jared Lee Loughner shot then Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona. On CNN, the conversation immediately turned to rightwing violence. CNN, The New York Times, and other outlets pointed the finger at Sarah Palin, claiming she had used the "militaristic" language of "targeting" Giffords for defeat. When it turned out the assassin had mental health issues, the network moved on. On June 14, 2017, James Hodgkinson attempted the mass assassination of Republican members of Congress. As soon as it turned out he was a progressive MSNBC viewer, CNN and other media outlets moved on.

Now, CNN will routinely talk to its audience about rightwing violence as a stand-alone category of violence. But all leftwing violence must be taken with a heavy dose of "both sides do it" and "why did Donald Trump provoke it." After both Tyler Robinson assassinated Charlie Kirk and Joshua Jahn opened fire on an ICE facility, killing two detainees, CNN's national security analyst Juliette Kayyem rushed to social media to assure the left that the shooters were not of the left. An entire media and progressive infrastructure exists to assure the left violence is never their fault.

Donald Trump's election triggered the left. Now, media outlets and Democrat politicians insist that his rhetoric is to blame, he is a dictator and that Democrats need to get comfortable doing things they would otherwise not do, in the words of Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy. The Atlantic, beloved by the progressive elite, is even sounding the alarm that leftwing violence is outpacing rightwing violence. Democrat politicians are forcing a government shutdown, scared that their voters might turn physically violent against them. News outlets continue making excuses, blaming Trump, and stacking bodies to see which side is more violent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, after suggesting everyone tone it down after Charlie Kirk's assassination, went on Stephen Colbert to declare he really does believe Trump will cancel the 2028 presidential election.

In the meantime, Charlie Kirk is dead. A gun control activist shot up an ABC station in California. ICE agents have been shot and detainees have been killed in Texas. Mourners for Kirk were hurt in Arizona. An explosive device was placed under a local Fox TV van in Nevada. A federal facility in Oregon was vandalized and employees were assaulted by protesters. That's just the last two weeks. Until Democrats police their own side, the violence will only increase.

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To find out more about Erick Erickson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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