Fact check: Have more politically-motivated killings in the US been committed by left-wing or right-wing people?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided suggest that right-wing individuals may be more responsible for politically-motivated killings in the United States ^{[1] [2] [3]}. According to one source, in 2021, most of the murders (26 of 29) were committed by right-wing extremists ^[1]. Additionally, a source reports that in 2024, all identified extremist-related killings in the US were committed by right-wing extremists ^[2]. Another source states that right-wing extremist violence has been more frequent and more deadly than left-wing violence in the US, with right-wing extremist violence responsible for approximately 75% to 80% of US domestic terrorism deaths since 2001 ^[3]. However, it is also noted that Americans express roughly equal levels of concern about left-wing and right-wing extremism and violence ^[4]. Furthermore, one source suggests that radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key missing context in the original statement is the historical context of political violence in the US ^[6]. Understanding the long history of political violence in the US can provide a more nuanced view of the current situation. Additionally, the concept of moral disengagement and how it relates to political violence is an important aspect to consider ^[7]. It is also worth noting that terrorist attacks on US soil since 1975 have been mostly carried out by terrorists inspired by Islamist ideology, which accounts for 87% of those murdered in attacks on US soil ^[8]. This context highlights the complexity of the issue and the need to consider multiple factors when evaluating politically-motivated killings.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be biased towards implying a false equivalence between left-wing and right-wing violence. While some sources suggest that Americans are concerned about both left-wing and right-wing extremism ^[4], the majority of the analyses provided indicate that right-wing individuals are more responsible for politically-motivated killings ^{[1] [2] [3]}. This discrepancy may be due to a lack of consideration of the historical context and the complexity of the issue. The original statement may also be misinforming by not providing a clear comparison of the frequency or severity of left-wing versus right-wing violence ^{[9] [6]}. Overall, it is crucial to consider multiple sources and viewpoints to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue and avoid perpetuating misinformation or bias ^{[5] [4] [1] [9] [6] [7] [2] [8] [3]}.