Minnesota, US see 'extremely concerning' rise in threats to lawmakers

The impact of negative political rhetoric

Threats against lawmakers have had a major spike in the last year. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has more. 

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The town hall attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minneapolis on Tuesday once again ignited the debate over political rhetoric, as "extremely concerning" new data show a surge in threats against lawmakers.

Rising threats against lawmakers

What we know:

President Trump has routinely made disparaging remarks about Democrats, including calling Omar "garbage." But Democrats have not hesitated to use inflammatory language against the president. Gov. Tim Walz has criticized federal immigration agents under the Trump administration, likening them to a "modern-day gestapo."

Omar has been vocal about the threats she faces, linking the president’s "hateful rhetoric" against her to an increased number of death threats.

By the numbers:

The U.S. Capitol Police investigated nearly 15,000 threats against lawmakers last year, marking the highest number in six years. In Minnesota, the State Patrol investigated 30 threats against lawmakers, a more than seven-fold increase from the previous year, when the agency investigated four threats.

The impact of inflammatory rhetoric

What they're saying:

Retired FBI agent Rob Chadwick expressed concern over the rise in inflammatory rhetoric. "There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with your opponent," he said. "Where you cross the line is when it becomes into name-calling and labeling...."

Chadwick emphasized that such rhetoric could lead to violence, highlighting the need for more respectful political discourse.