Abstract

The polarized reaction to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO in December 2024 underscored the potential of ideologically framed acts of violence to undermine societal cohesion and challenge democratic norms. While many condemned the killing as an unjustifiable attack on a private citizen, others celebrated Mangione as a “folk hero,” glorifying him and his act as a symbol of resistance against an industry perceived as corrupt and dehumanizing. Using data from a rolling cross-sectional survey in the U.S., we causally tested partisan differences in support for political violence before and after the CEO’s assassination and the perpetrator’s subsequent arrest. While Democrats initially condemned violence against Republicans, their support for partisan violence increased following Mangione’s arrest. These results underscore the role of public discourse in shaping attitudes towards political violence, raising concerns about the normalization of politically motivated aggression, even among groups traditionally less inclined to endorse it.