LANSING — Michigan elected officials are facing increased threats following the killing of Charlie Kirk, part of a trend that experts say has grown rapidly in recent years.
Political scientists say that more needs to be done to tamp down on rising tensions and avoid the threat of further political violence.
“Over the last, you know, five to seven years, i think that pattern is fairly clear — and it’s not great,” said Scott LaDeur, a political science professor at North Central Michigan College. “What it’s going to take to break from this? I’m not entirely sure.”
Last week, Lte. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and state Sen. Jeremy Moss, both Democrats, received bomb threats to their homes, prompting evacuations and law enforcement response.
And in 2020, Gov. Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping plot related to the state’s pandemic policies.
“It’s hard to get away from this idea that it’s becoming more prevalent, when we even think about just here in Michigan,” said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University.
Experts say that this moment stands out from historical instances through social media and the prevalence of mass digital communication.
Online platforms tend to amplify extreme views, which can garner more interactions and distort people’s perception of the political landscape.
“The problem with the rhetoric is that there’s going to be some people who hear that, and they’re going to think that that’s something they need to do, or should do, and the rhetoric then is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy,” LaDeur said.
Attorney General Dana Nessel called social media platforms ‘outrage machines’ that can stoke feelings of paranoia or anger.
“They’re designed to get people hyped up,” she said. “They’re designed to get people to stay on that platform by getting them upset and to lead them to believe that their neighbors are their enemies — it’s just not the case.”
Nessel says that as a statewide office holder, she frequently sees threats directed at her or her family.
At any given moment, Nessel says there are likely three or four individuals facing state or federal consequences for threats made against her.
“It’s deeply disturbing, and that’s the kind of thing that makes people question whether they want to run for office or not,” she said.
Nessel encouraged anyone who sees threats being made against public officials to contact law enforcement and to look into the state’s Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
Also known as ‘red flag laws’, those policies allow law enforcement to temporarily revoke someone’s firearms if a judge finds that they pose a risk to themself or others.
Experts say that taking threats of political violence seriously could help avoid greater tragedy later on.
“Folks on both sides, leaders on both sides, have a real chance to come in and say, ‘enough of that. Stop it — we’re not going to reward that kind of activity’,” Dulio said. ”Until and unless that happens, I think we’re in for more of the same.”