Women are more likely than men to believe political assassination can be justified, according to new polling, a finding that researchers say points to a deeper moral and cultural crisis as political violence becomes increasingly normalized in American life.
The survey, conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute, found that women across the political spectrum were between 14% and 20% more likely than men to express some level of justification for the assassination of high-profile political figures. The results come amid a troubling surge in real-world political violence, including the assassinations of Charlie Kirk and UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as well as the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
According to NCRI co-founder Joel Finkelstein, the most striking aspect of the findings was not simply the gender gap, but the fact that tolerance for political assassination was not confined to traditionally high-risk or marginalized groups. Instead, it appeared across demographics and political identities.
Finkelstein said the research team initially assumed young men would be driving acceptance of political violence, given broader trends such as disengagement, unemployment, and declining graduation rates. That assumption prompted the researchers to take a closer look at gender differences. What they found, he said, was unexpected. Women, not men, were more likely to express tolerance for political violence, a result he described as honestly shocking.
The poll was conducted using CloudResearch Prime Panels and drew from a nationally representative sample of American adults. Respondents were asked to rate, on a seven-point scale, how justified or unjustified it would be if someone killed Zohran Mamdani or Donald Trump.
While women commit far fewer murders in the United States, accounting for roughly 13% of all killings over the past five years, the survey showed they were more likely than men to say political assassination could be justified. More than 54% of women expressed some level of justification for the killing of Mamdani, compared to just over 45% of men. Similarly, more than 57% of women expressed some justification for Trump’s assassination, compared with about 50% of men.
Finkelstein suggested the results may reflect broader social trends. He noted that over the past decade, women, particularly younger women, have become more politically polarized, more emotionally moralized in their views, and more immersed in online political identity formation. According to him, the poll may be capturing the downstream effects of those long-term shifts.
The findings echo earlier NCRI research. A similar poll conducted in April 2025 found that a majority of left-leaning respondents believed the assassination of Trump could be justified, while roughly half said the same about Elon Musk. Those results were widely discussed after being shared publicly by Charlie Kirk, just months before he was himself assassinated.
In the latest survey, belief in political assassination rose sharply among left-of-center respondents, but significant shares of centrists and right-of-center respondents also expressed justification. Across ideological lines, a shared belief emerged among those most tolerant of political violence: a conviction that America is in decline.
The poll also found a strong link between heavy social media use and support for political assassination, reinforcing concerns that online platforms may amplify extreme rhetoric and make once-unthinkable acts seem acceptable.
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