GEOFF BENNETT: The latest PBS News/NPR Marist# poll out today shows that nearly a third of## Americans now believe political violence may# be necessary to get the country back on track.

That's up from 19 percent just a year-and-a-half# ago.

It follows a series of high-profile attacks,## including the June killing of a Democratic# state legislator and her husband in Minnesota,## and the assassination of conservative# activist Charlie Kirk in Utah last month.

Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a professor at American# University who studies polarization and extremism,## says the rising support for political# violence is translating into real acts,## and the trend is deeply alarming.

CYNTHIA MILLER-IDRISS, American University: It's# just a horrific moment to see that people believe,## honestly believe that there's# no other alternative at this## point than to resort to political# violence.

We have had years now of## rising support for political violence# and willingness to participate in it.

And now we're seeing actual rising acts of# political violence follow on the heels of## that.

So having this go up even more is a real# wake-up call.

It should be a real wake-up call.

GEOFF BENNETT: The poll also# tackles the administration's## handling of free speech and# a number of other issues.

Joining us now to break it all# down is NPR's senior political## editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

Always great to see you.

DOMENICO MONTANARO, Political# .. GEOFF BENNETT: So wh.. say that violence might be necessary?

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Well, it's really## fascinating because it went up 11 points.

It's 30# points now in our poll for people who are saying## that they might have to resort to violence# to be able to get the country back on track.

It was 19 percent back in April of 2024.# What's driving that here?

Mostly Democrats.## Only 12 percent of Democrats back in April# of 2024 said that -- said this.

Now it's up## to 28 percent, a huge jump, really, I# mean, statistically very significant.## But I will say that Republicans are still higher# than Democrats.

They're at 31 percent.

So they## also went up from 28 percent, about# the same, but still a slight increase.

Even a quarter of independents are feeling this# way now, having gone up seven points as well.

GEOFF BENNETT: On the other hand, the# poll also shows that most Americans,## about 77 percent, say politically motivated# violence is a major problem in this country.## Another 18 percent agree that# it's at least a minor problem.

What does that tell you# about the general attitude?

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Yes, I mean, I think that# clearly most people in the country don't think## that this is something that should happen.

They# think that political violence is a major problem.## They were split on which people are being# more targeted, who they're more afraid are## being targeted, public officials or protesters.# People were basically split down the middle.

I found fascinating the split by age here.# You had people who were under 45 years old## who were 20 points more likely than those over# 45 years old to say that resorting to violence## was necessary.

You also saw some splits# by race as well, where you had people who## are Black and Latino more likely to say that# this was necessary potentially than whites.

And I think that it really speaks a lot# to people who feel under threat in the## country.

And people feel under threat# across the aisle for different reasons,## right, whether they're targeted for hiring# practices or feel like they don't have upward## mobility or feeling like that the country's# not going in the direction they want, in## the way conservatives had viewed it# before Donald Trump was in office.

In some senses, though, I feel like there's# a failure of politics here overall, because,## if you feel that politics, which is the only# way to really create change in the country,## is the way to make that change, then you# don't feel this way.

But when politics,## people feel, has let them down, then you# start to see these kinds of openings.

GEOFF BENNETT: The poll also touched on# how Americans feel about free speech,## with the vast majority, 79 percent,# feeling the country has gone too## far in restricting it.

What more should we know?

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Yes, I mean,# I think that's a big thing, right?

Conservatives for a long time# had said that they felt like## their speech was being restricted on# college campuses, online.

And now,## with everything that we have seen with comedian# Jimmy Kimmel being taken off the air and now## back on the air after pressure from the# Trump administration, everybody's got a## gripe as far as whether or not they think the# federal government is doing a good job or not.

And most people think that the federal# government should basically stay out## of it.

I mean, when you look at the numbers# here, only 15 percent say that the government## should have a major role in deciding# extreme speech; 44 percent say that## it should have a minor role.

The rest, 41# percent, say it should have no role at all.

GEOFF BENNETT: What other takeaways from# this poll strike you as interesting?

DOMENICO MONTANARO: Yes, I mean, there's# a lot of fascinating pieces of the poll,## I mean, I think, when it comes to# speech and violence in particular.

They're somewhat connected, right?# Because I think you have people who## feel really just that they don't have the# opportunity to say what they want to be## able to say.

A lot of Democrats now feel# like speech is being restricted in places## where it wasn't previously.

And a lot of# Republicans have just felt for a long time## that they feel that -- and Trump ran on this in# 2015-2016, against political correctness, right?

And I think you're seeing people have different# thoughts and different ideas about what defines## what acceptable speech is in this country.

GEOFF BENNETT: Domenico Montanaro,# our thanks to you, as always.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: You're welcome.

And you can see the full results of our# poll on our ..