The Real Threat to the Midterms Is Regular Americans Thinking Violence Is the Answer

Robert A. Pape’s book *Our Own Worst Enemies* shows that 90% of those charged after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack had no militia ties; 22% were business owners, nearly 30% held college degrees, and many were doctors, engineers, CEOs, or government employees. Pape argues that violent populism is rising because mainstream Americans increasingly accept physical force as a legitimate political tool, a trend that threatens the 2026 midterms.