NEW NORMAL? How the Left Succeeded in Making Political Violence REGULAR | 4/27/26

The Steve Deace Show explores the normalization of political violence in American culture, arguing that the left has successfully created a 'permission structure' that has now evolved into open, actionable violence. The episode opens with a harrowing account of a near-assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where a gunman from California, Cole Allen, was apprehended after storming the venue with a shotgun. The hosts dissect the shooter's manifesto, which referenced Trump as a 'pedophile rapist and traitor,' and highlight the chilling response from left-wing figures and activists, including calls for violence and the use of violent rhetoric on social media. Aaron McIntyre and Todd Erz argue that the era of 'normalizing' political violence is over—what we're witnessing is the end of the permission structure, not its beginning. They assert that public sentiment on the left increasingly accepts political violence as a legitimate tool, with polls indicating 25% of Democrats believe violence is acceptable. The hosts warn of a chilling effect on civic participation, where fear of violence deters people from running for office or speaking out. They contrast this with a spiritual call to action, citing the 'America Reads the Bible' event and the need for repentance, prayer, and boldness in the face of spiritual warfare. The episode closes with a robust 'Ask Dace Anything' segment, where Steve Deace addresses theological questions, the moral law in the Old Testament, and the existential stakes of the current political moment, emphasizing that the fight is not internal but existential—Christianity versus a unified, weaponized leftism. Key takeaways include: (1) Political violence is no longer an aberration but a normalized tactic used by the left, with widespread public acceptance; (2) The 'permission structure' that once justified radical ideas has now culminated in open calls for violence and assassination; (3) The spiritual and cultural response must be one of repentance, prayer, and bold witness, not division; (4) The fight is not about ideology alone but about survival—this is a zero-sum game where one side must prevail; (5) Christians must remain faithful in the mundane, continuing their vocations as acts of worship and resistance. The hosts express deep concern about the erosion of the social compact and the failure of the right to respond with sufficient resolve.