Fact check: right-wing violence accounts for 63% of politically motivated deaths in the U.S. since 1975

1. Summary of the results

The original statement claims that right-wing violence accounts for 63% of politically motivated deaths in the U.S. since 1975. According to ^[1], this claim is supported when excluding the 9/11 attacks, as right-wing violence accounts for 63% of politically motivated deaths in the U.S. since 1975 ^[1]. However, ^[2] mentions a report from the CATO Institute that estimated members of far-right groups were responsible for 11% of politically motivated murders in the United States since 1975, which contradicts the claim ^[2]. Additionally, ^[3] cites data from the Cato Institute, stating that since 1975, Islamist terrorists have been responsible for 87% of deaths due to political violence in the US, largely due to the casualties from 9/11 ^[3]. On the other hand, ^[4] supports the claim, stating that right-wing extremists are responsible for more political violence, with 63% of deaths from political violence since 1975 attributed to right-wing ideology, excluding the 9/11 attacks ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Some sources do not provide direct evidence to support or contradict the claim, but mention that recent political violence has affected both Democrats and Republicans, and that experts point to several sources, including social media, as contributing to the rise in political violence ^[5]. Others discuss the recent increase in political violence and provide some context, but do not directly address the claim ^{[5] [6]}. Furthermore, ^[7] discusses Americans' perceptions of political violence, but does not provide specific data on the proportion of deaths caused by right-wing violence ^[7]. It is also worth noting that ^[8] provides a comparison of political violence by left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremists, finding that in the United States, there is no difference between the level of violence perpetrated by right-wing and Islamist extremists ^[8].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading as it does not account for the 9/11 attacks, which significantly impact the overall number of deaths due to political violence ^[3]. Additionally, the claim may be influenced by bias, as some sources, such as ^[4], support the claim, while others, such as ^[2] and ^[3], contradict it ^{[2] [3] [4]}. The CATO Institute, cited in ^[2] and ^[3], may benefit from presenting data that contradicts the claim, as it could be seen as promoting a more nuanced view of political violence ^{[2] [3]}. On the other hand, sources that support the claim, such as ^[4], may benefit from promoting a particular narrative about the prevalence of right-wing violence ^[4].