Left-wing violence has become almost a daily fact of our political life. And I am not talking about the extreme left, I am talking about the left that represents the center of gravity in the Democratic Party.
Congressman Adam Smith illustrates the point in the tweet embedded below. Smith, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, is a former supporter of Israel who voted with 102 Democratic colleagues to cut off military aid to that country. Smith says he cast his vote to send a message to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, with which he is “frustrated.”
But this is perhaps the more salient point:
I am deeply concerned about the tactics used by those on the far left to advocate for cutting off aid to Israel. To date, my family and I have had our home vandalized, a fire has been set in my driveway, my neighbors’ lives have been disrupted by demonstrations in the middle of the night, town halls meant to be forums for dialogue have been shut down, and a staff member has been physically assaulted. Those who engage in this type of behavior model a dangerous form of corrosive politics that seeks to intimidate those who disagree with them.
My statement on my vote in support of Rep. Massie's Amendment #8. pic.twitter.com/gLoeYWiCNv
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) July 16, 2026
The left-wingers got their way: Smith voted with them. And one of those who organized protests at Smith’s house is now an opponent running for his seat in the Democratic primary:
Smith is running in a primary race against two anti-Israel candidates to his left, Kshama Sawant and Melissa Chaudhry. Sawant organized anti-Israel protests outside Smith’s home.
Smith may have knuckled under to liberal violence. Then again, he may simply have seen which way the wind is blowing in his party. That is what Kshama Sawant says:
The forces are complementary: vote our way or we will vandalize your house, threaten your family, and assault your staff. Also, vote our way or the majority in our party who are fine with vandalism, threats and violence will throw you out of office.
UPDATE: A reader who lives in Smith’s district forwarded an email he got from Kshama Sawant’s campaign:
Dear XXXXX, I’m Emily with 𝗞𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁’s campaign for 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀. Help us defeat AIPAC! Kshama is the socialist who beat the billionaires. As an independent socialist on the Seattle City Council, she built movements to win the highest minimum wage in the country, the Amazon Tax that funds affordable housing & unprecedented renters rights.
Kshama is running for Congress in your district fighting for 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹, for national rent control & for taxing the rich to fund free healthcare for all. http://www.kshamasawant.org
𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗴 𝟰?
What strikes me is the priority given to the anti-Semitic element of Sawant’s campaign. Hey, I’m a Communist, but more than that, I really hate Israel! It is issue number one.
During the 1930s, most observers saw Adolf Hitler’s anti-Semitism, and that of his regime, as an offbeat quirk that was tangential to the Nazi party’s socialism. But that turned out not to be true: in the last days of the war, the Nazis prioritized shipping Jews to the death camps even at the expense of the slim military resources that remained. Anti-Semitism proved to be, not an odd afterthought, but the very essence of Hitler’s regime.
We see the same thing today in the Democratic Party. Anti-Semitism isn’t just one plank in the Democrats’ platform, it is the number one issue that real Democrats–socialists like Kshama Sawant–intend to advance.
