Shining a light on extremists makes the US appear more broken than it truly is

Activists march along 23rd Street in New York ahead of the US presidential election. Photo: AP Photo/Kevin Hagen

Amanda Ripley

When a country is experiencing high conflict, it begins to hallucinate. We start to believe manufactured narratives, which helps them come true. This is the unsettled state of our union on the eve of the election.

If Joe Biden wins the election but President Donald Trump claims it was stolen, what percentage of Republicans say they would condone physical attacks against Biden’s supporters? In a survey in October, only 3pc of Republicans said violence would be justified. Three percent. That is still enough to create significant mayhem. But it remains a fringe element. Republicans overwhelmingly reject physical violence, according to the survey conducted by the nonpartisan organisation More in Common and the polling firm YouGov.