Younger and more liberal Americans are much more likely to think political violence can be justified. Very liberal Americans are 8.3 times more likely than very conservatives to say it. 18 to 29 year olds are 6.67 times more likely than those 65+.

A September 2025 survey by YouGov show that while 11 percent of Americans adults think that violence by citizens to achieve political goals can be justified, the results vary dramatically by age and political ideology. Twenty-five percent of those who classified themselves as “very liberal” felt that way, while only 3% of those who were “very conservative” felt the same. The gap by age was not quite as dramatic, but still very large: 19% for those 18 to 29 and 3% for those 65 and older.

Interestingly, while younger Americans are more likely to say political violence can be justified, they are less likely to defend violence in self-defense.