What the shooter’s politics teach us about our own.

Key Points:

• Cole Tomas Allen, a California teacher who allegedly attempted to assassinate President Trump and his Cabinet, was active on mainstream liberal social media platforms and expressed views aligned with typical Democratic sentiments rather than radical ideology.
• Allen's political rhetoric, including calling Trump a "sociopathic mob boss" and condemning bipartisan cooperation as "bipartisanship with Nazis," mirrors common expressions found within mainstream liberal discourse rather than revolutionary calls for systemic change.
• Recent political violence, including assassination attempts on Trump, often involves individuals who are politically disaffected and unmoored rather than members of organized extremist groups, reflecting widespread societal frustration and internalized fury.
• The article suggests that the normalization of extreme political rhetoric and the decline in American quality of life contribute to a climate where violent impulses emerge from seemingly "normal" individuals rather than ideologically driven terrorists.
• The author concludes that the current political stalemate and erosion of norms have fostered a dangerous environment in which many Americans, including mainstream liberals, harbor deep resentment toward Trump, sometimes wishing harm upon him, highlighting the fractured state of the nation.