Yesterday’s horrifying attack injured former President Trump (though thankfully, he’s said to be okay), killed one rally attendee, and left at least two people critically injured. As the NYT editorializes: “Violence is antithetical to democracy. Ballots, not bullets, should always be the means by which Americans work through their differences.” Yet a recent survey by Professor Robert Pape of University of Chicago found that 10% of American adults thought the “use of force is justified to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president,” while 7% “support force to restore Trump to the presidency.” Threats to state and local officeholders and to election officials have also risen.

I hope that this is the last instance of political violence in this election year. But I fear it won’t be.