U.S. Political Violence and Security

A new report from the nonpartisan Public Service Alliance finds that security spending by federal political campaigns has increased roughly fivefold over the past decade, topping $40 million in the 2023–24 election cycle as threats against candidates and officeholders escalate from online harassment and doxing to attempted assassinations. Released April 9, 2026, the analysis of Federal Election Commission filings shows digital-security outlays jumping from about $50,000 in 2015–16 to $900,000 in 2023–24, reflecting efforts to harden campaigns against hacking and online threats. The report also flags nearly $1 million in campaign-funded home‑security measures in the past decade — including window bars, surveillance cameras and private response contracts — a category that did not exist in 2015–16 and that the author links to more frequent targeting of officials’ residences. While the spending still represents a small share of the billions spent each cycle, the group warns its methodology likely understates the true cost since it counts only expenses explicitly labeled as security. The findings come after a string of high‑profile violent incidents — including the 2017 GOP baseball practice shooting, the 2022 hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, the 2024 assassination attempt on then‑candidate Donald Trump, and recent killings of a Minnesota lawmaker and commentator Charlie Kirk — and will fuel debate over whether American politics is sliding into a semi‑permanent era where serious candidates must self‑fund private protection.