Political violence has 'just started,’ former FBI agent warns in 2026 outlook

A erstwhile FBI cause is informing that governmental unit has "just started" arsenic 2026 begins.

Conservative influencer and Turning Point USA laminitis Charlie Kirk became the astir high-profile unfortunate of governmental unit successful 2025 erstwhile helium was killed connected Sept. 10. Authorities person not publically identified a motive, but officials person described the sidesplitting arsenic a "political assassination," underscoring increasing concerns astir ideologically-driven attacks successful the U.S. 

Investigators person said 1 of the bullets allegedly utilized by fishy Tyler Robinson was engraved with the phrase, "Hey fascist, catch," a item that has fueled statement implicit whether governmental rhetoric is progressively bleeding into real-world violence.

To immoderate extent, those informing signs aren't subtle. The Department of Homeland Security reported successful November that successful 2025, determination was much than a 1,150% summation successful assaults and convulsive attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers erstwhile compared to the aforesaid play past twelvemonth nether the Biden administration.

CHARLIE KIRK’S KILLING, IDAHO MURDERS PLEA AND KAREN READ VERDICT: INSIDE 2025’S BIGGEST CRIME MOMENTS

Thomas Matthew Crooks was a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who attempted to assassinate erstwhile President Donald Trump during a 2024 run rally earlier being changeable and killed by Secret Service agents. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

In precocious September, 1 ICE detainee was killed, and 2 others were injured erstwhile a gunman opened occurrence connected an bureau facility. The suspect, aboriginal identified arsenic Joshua Jahn, allegedly searched apps that tracked the beingness of ICE agents.

Officials said Jahn had a handwritten enactment that stated, "Hopefully this volition springiness ICE agents existent terror, to think, 'is determination a sniper with AP rounds connected that roof?"

The aforesaid signifier of targeted, ideologically-driven unit besides surfaced erstwhile determination were 2 assassination attempts against now-President Donald Trump. On July 13, 2024, authorities said 20-year-old Thomas Crooks fired respective shots during a Butler, Pennsylvania rally, 1 of which struck Trump successful the ear. Just a fewer months later, connected Sept. 15, 2024, 58-year-old Ryan Routh was arrested aft authorities said helium was seen equipped with a firearm successful a sniper's fell adjacent the Trump International Golf Club successful West Palm Beach, Florida.

Former FBI cause Jonathan Gilliam said Kirk’s decease fits into a broader signifier that has go progressively hard to ignore. In an interrogation with Fox News Digital, helium warned that governmental unit is being normalized.

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Luigi Mangione appears successful Manhattan Supreme Court for a suppression proceeding connected Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.  (Curtis Means for Daily Mail via Pool)

"I deliberation determination are signs that this benignant of unit is being normalized," Gilliam said. "When you look at, for instance, Luigi Mangione successful the assassination of an security CEO, what you've seen is that a ample portion of the colonisation was somewhat OK with that and person made him into somewhat of a hero."

Gilliam said he's acrophobic that immoderate Americans' tolerance for governmental and ideological unit has lone expanded successful caller years.

"When they spell out, and they perpetrate acts of violence, but not killing, radical commencement to inquire the question, ‘is that justified?’ And then, erstwhile it gets much and much violent, determination volition beryllium little people, but really inactive a large immense bulk of those radical that person been convinced volition hold and warrant the violence," Gilliam said.

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Joshua Jahn, 29, is the antheral who opened occurrence connected an ICE installation successful Dallas, Texas, authorities said. (Contributed to Fox News)

Gilliam warned helium thinks the U.S. hasn't witnessed the highest of governmental violence, but it volition lone get worse.

"I judge that governmental violence, arsenic we cognize it now, has conscionable started," Gilliam said. "So erstwhile we look present astatine the governmental unit that's happening, we're besides seeing overmuch much convulsive behavior, precise targeted behavior. It's unit and sidesplitting against antithetic Jewish groups, against Christians, against radical who are outwardly trying to person dialogue. And truthful alternatively than enactment that dialogue, what we person seen is governmental unit to unopen that unit down oregon that dialog down."