Shift in Domestic Terrorism Landscape: Left-Wing Incidents Surge Ahead of Right-Wing

Strategic Insights -

Research from the Center for Strategic and International Studies has found that domestic terror incidents in the United States linked to far-left extremists have surged ahead of those attributed to far-right extremists in the last decade. While right-wing violence has declined sharply, left-wing violence has risen significantly, particularly since President Donald Trump's rise to power in 2016. The study analyzed 750 domestic terror incidents in the country between January 1, 1994, and July 4, 2025.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research found that left-wing terrorism has risen in the last 10 years, particularly since President Trump's rise to prominence in 2016, with incidents motivated by opposition to capitalism, imperialism, or colonialism, support for LGBTQ+ rights, and adherence to pro-communist or pro-socialist beliefs.
  • Right-wing terrorism has declined sharply, with attacks linked to the right currently at a historic low, hypothesized to be due to the current administration's embracing of traditional grievances of the violent far right.
  • The study used a definition of terrorism that includes the deliberate use or threat of premeditated violence by non-state actors with the intent to achieve political goals by creating a broad psychological impact.
  • The researchers cautioned that many domestic terrorism incidents do not sit within the parameters of right-wing or left-wing ideologies, with some incidents influenced by a "salad bar of ideologies" from across the political spectrum.
  • The drop in right-wing terrorism has been "striking and hard to explain," with the country seeing an average of 21 right-wing attacks or plots annually between 1994 and 2000, compared to just seven per year in the following decade.
  • In the first half of 2025, only one right-wing incident was recorded, highlighting the significant decline in right-wing violence.
  • The researchers suggested that the U.S. government must "avoid overreacting with crackdowns on peaceful organizations, which will serve to strengthen extremist views."

Statistics:

  • The study analyzed 750 domestic terror incidents in the United States between January 1, 1994, and July 4, 2025.
  • Left-wing terrorism has surged ahead of right-wing terrorism in the last decade, with incidents motivated by opposition to capitalism, imperialism, or colonialism, support for LGBTQ+ rights, and adherence to pro-communist or pro-socialist beliefs.
  • Right-wing terrorism has declined sharply, with attacks linked to the right currently at a historic low.
  • The country saw an average of 21 right-wing attacks or plots annually between 1994 and 2000, compared to just seven per year in the following decade.
  • In the first half of 2025, only one right-wing incident was recorded.

Sources:

  • Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • AP
  • AFP/Getty
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