On Sunday, at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, who was murdered due to his political views, President Donald Trump asserted that violence predominantly originates from the left. This statement followed an incident on Friday where a leftist individual opened fire at an ABC station in Sacramento, California, reportedly in response to Jimmy Kimmel's temporary suspension.
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The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released its annual report, claiming it is the third consecutive year that right-wing extremists have been linked to all identified extremist-related killings. The report states that between 2022 and 2024, 34 extremist murders were attributed to so-called right-wing extremists, with 23 of these (68 percent) committed by white supremacists, resulting in a total of 61 fatalities.
Despite the dramatic claims made by the ADL, these 61 deaths represent a small fraction of the 58,781 murders recorded by the FBI over the same period. Trump emphasized that political murders are attacks on the nation as a whole, yet none of the cases cited by the ADL involved a right-wing individual targeting a political opponent.
Are These Murderers Really Right-Wing?
Questions arise regarding the ADL's definition of "right-wing extremists." For instance, Payton Gendron, the 2022 Buffalo supermarket shooter who killed ten Black shoppers, was labeled a right-wing extremist due to his racist views. However, Gendron's writings reveal he identified as an "eco-fascist national socialist" and criticized capitalism for harming the environment, which complicates the narrative of him being a typical right-wing figure.
Similarly, Anderson Lee Aldrich, who killed five people at Club Q, a gay bar in Colorado Springs, was classified as a right-wing extremist for targeting the LGBTQ+ community. However, Aldrich identified as nonbinary and used they/them pronouns, which contradicts traditional right-wing ideology.
The ADL's report also omits other mass shooters with left-leaning ideologies. Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a transgender shooter who attacked a Nashville school, expressed anti-white sentiments and supported gun control. Robert Crimo, who killed seven in Highland Park, openly opposed Trump, while Connor Sturgeon, responsible for five deaths in Louisville, praised Black Lives Matter protests.
Excluding Left-Leaning Murderers
From 2022 to 2024, one-third of mass public shooting cases were attributed to individuals on the political left. Eleven of the mass murderers during this time held no political views and were driven by suicidal tendencies. The ADL classified a neo-Nazi shooter from Allen, Texas, as a right-wing extremist, despite the individual's self-identification.
The ADL's methodology raises further concerns. For example, while the Aryan Brotherhood is recognized for its racism, it lacks a coherent political ideology beyond criminal activities. The murders attributed to this group often stem from gang disputes rather than political motivations.
If we exclude cases like those of Gendron and Aldrich, as well as the Aryan Brotherhood murders, the data suggests a more balanced view of left-wing and right-wing violence. The media's acceptance of the ADL's selective definitions appears to support a political narrative that may not align with the broader truth.
John R. Lott Jr. is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and previously served as a senior advisor for research and statistics in the U.S. Department of Justice.
Why it matters
- Trump's remarks at Kirk's memorial highlight ongoing political tensions and the narrative of violence linked to political ideologies.
- The ADL's report raises questions about the classification of extremists, suggesting a potential bias in attributing violence to right-wing groups.
- The discussion around the ADL's definitions of extremism reflects broader societal debates on political violence and its origins.
What’s next
- Investigations into the ADL's methodology may be prompted by the controversy surrounding their extremist classifications.
- Calls for a more comprehensive review of political violence statistics could emerge from this debate.
- Upcoming discussions in Congress may address the implications of political violence and extremism definitions.
