Batya Ungar-Sargon, Newsweek’s opinion editor, sharply criticized the Left’s handling of political violence during recent remarks, pointing out what she described as the hypocrisy of left-wing leaders and media figures.
She argued that while the Left portrays conservatives as dangerous, it is in fact left-wing activists who have historically engaged in violent behavior.
“One side of the political aisle in America is heavily armed, and it’s the other side that commits the vast majority of political violence,” Ungar-Sargon said.
She noted that the Left implicitly acknowledges this reality because of how it responds differently when violence occurs.
“You know, there’s a tacit admission from the left that their side is the violent side, because if somebody, God forbid, if a big left wing influencer, God forbid, was killed, what they would be doing immediately, is boarding up every single major city in America because there would be rioting and looting, people would die. We know that 10s, if not hundreds of people died during the BLM riots. And obviously none of that has happened, and none of that is expected to happen, despite the fact that the right, whose Avatar was just murdered in cold blood is heavily armed, right?”
Ungar-Sargon emphasized that while Democrats call conservatives “fascists” and “Nazis,” they rely on the fact that right-leaning Americans will not take violent revenge.
“So there is this tacit understanding from the left, even as they call the right the source of all the political violence and fascists and Nazis and what have you, that actually the right will not pick up their arms and turn on their leftist neighbors, right? They rely on the forbearance of their conservative neighbors, who are much more heavily armed, not to actually take revenge. And we all know that this is happening, they just won’t admit it.”
She also criticized the way Democrats and their allies in the media frame incidents to pin blame on Republicans, citing examples where narratives were misleading or false.
“It is so amazing to sit here and have people bring up case after case after case that has been like, thoroughly debunked. You know, just because Josh Shapiro is a Democrat. Doesn’t mean the person who tried to assassinate him was a Republican. That guy did it. He said because Josh Shapiro is killing his Palestinian friends. Okay? And we have cases like that again and again.”
Ungar-Sargon argued that the Left continually returns to January 6 while misrepresenting what occurred.
“They have to keep going back to January 6, which, as Vince pointed out, no one was killed except Ashley Babbitt, who was one of the protesters to compare a meme posted of a Halloween costume to people actually saying the things that murderers then use to justify their killing, like the guy who killed that couple outside the Jewish Museum in DC, or like this killer who killed Charlie saying the exact same things you hear from the most prominent Democrats is facetious.”
She concluded that the Left’s approach to political debate not only distorts reality but insults conservatives who have shown restraint despite being targeted and demonized.
“It is facetious to compare an actual justification for murder that turns into murder with a photo that gets posted. And this is why conservatives are so frustrated, because they know that even as the left is demonizing them, the left is tacitly acknowledging that they’re not actually in danger from their conservative neighbors.”
There’s a tacit admission from the Left that their side is the violent side. Note how no one is boarding up American cities. The gross irony is that the Left demonizes the Right and their guns, while at the same time relying on their conservative neighbors’ forbearance. pic.twitter.com/ZrBLnmcn9n [1]
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) September 12, 2025 [2]
Ungar-Sargon’s comments come amid heightened debate over political violence following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
“When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence.” -Charlie Kirk pic.twitter.com/NNIORdF3lk [3]
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) September 12, 2025 [4]
The suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with Kirk’s murder.