Political violence and free expression
Freedom House’s 2026 U.S. report notes proliferating political violence, intimidation of politicians, and a score decline tied to threats and reprisals for political expression, including administration efforts affecting noncitizens’ speech and a chilling effect on personal expression.
How should the country respond to political violence and pressures on free expression?
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Sources
Freedom House — https://freedomhouse.org/country/united-states/freedom-world/2026
Other forms of political violence have proliferated, and politicians have been subjected to a dramatic rise in intimidation, including from members of the public influenced by hostile political rhetoric.
Freedom House — https://freedomhouse.org/country/united-states/freedom-world/2026
The score declined from 4 to 3 due to a multiyear rise in threats and reprisals for political expression, and the new administration’s efforts to punish nonviolent speech by noncitizens, both of which produced a chilling effect on personal expression.
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Expand hate-speech limits and federal programs targeting rhetoric linked to right-wing threats
- Strengthen protections for protesters and noncitizens’ speech while prosecuting true threats
- Even-handedly prosecute violence and true threats without new speech policing
- Prioritize order and support tougher penalties for intimidation of officials and disruptive protest
- Broadly restrict protest near officials and back strong reprisals against hostile political speech