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With Americans casting their votes on Tuesday, fears of civil unrest are surging as a razor-thin presidential race between incumbent Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris reaches a critical point in just seven swing states. Tensions are high amid fresh memories of the 2020 election turmoil and political violence.
Businesses in Washington, D.C., spent Monday boarding up windows, while security fencing rose around the White House, Vice President’s residence, and other key locations. Sporadic fights erupted at polling stations, and election workers prepared for potential attacks, following threats targeting political offices and sensitive sites nationwide.
In Washington state, some National Guard members were placed on standby, with Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen warning of possible “blood” as partisans brace for a divisive result. “There may be blood,” Cohen said, alluding to the potential fallout if Trump’s supporters refuse to accept defeat.
Anticipating unrest, Portland, Oregon—a city with a history of protests and violent clashes—mobilized law enforcement. Mayor Ted Wheeler cautioned that polling could bring “uncertainty and tension.”
The campaign season has already seen violence. At a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, gunfire grazed Trump, leaving one attendee dead and injuring two others. Divisive rhetoric has also marked the campaign; a speaker at a Trump rally spoke ominously of the “slaughter” of Democrats, while Trump has called out former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney with violent language. Harris and President Joe Biden, meanwhile, have characterized Trump as a “threat to democracy.”
The specter of January 6, 2021—when Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol—looms large. Trump has consistently hinted he may contest any unfavorable outcome, alleging fraud in swing states like Pennsylvania, sparking concerns of unrest.
“I think there’s no other option than some kind of extreme unrest,” said Bill Robinson, 65, a Trump supporter from North Carolina, echoing concerns of many.
As Trump and Harris made last-minute appeals to voters on Monday, Cohen expressed worries that even a Harris victory by several million votes might not deter Trump from urging followers to “fight like hell.”
Washington, D.C., is girding for a “fluid, unpredictable security environment” post-Election Day, with many expecting delays in declaring a winner. Local official Eric J. Jones told The Washington Post that while preparations are in place, “we’re not expecting full-fledged pandemonium like after January 6.”
A recent survey found that over 25% of Americans anticipate riots regardless of the election outcome, with 10% fearing civil war. Pennsylvania remains a flashpoint, embroiled in fraud allegations and related cases in the Supreme Court.
Reports of violence at polling stations have surfaced. In San Antonio, Texas, a poll worker was allegedly attacked by a man refusing to remove a MAGA hat, and ballot boxes were set ablaze in Washington state, where polls show Harris with an edge.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee activated some National Guard members on Friday, citing concerns over potential election-related violence.
[Information sourced from Daily Mail]
