Capitol Police Say Threat Cases Have Jumped 57%

Threats tied to Congress jumped sharply last year, and the force tasked with protecting lawmakers says the country's political tone is part of the problem. The US Capitol Police disclosed Tuesday that cases involving threats or alarming communications toward members of Congress, their families, staff, or the Capitol complex surged 57% in 2025, per the Daily Beast. There were 14,938 total cases, rising from 9,474 in 2024. The tally has been climbing for several years, up from 8,008 in 2023 and 7,501 in 2022, per the Washington Post.

In a statement, Capitol Police linked the rise to two factors: increasingly aggressive political rhetoric and the sense of impunity some people feel online. "Decreasing violent political rhetoric is one of the best ways to decrease the number of threats across the country," the agency said. The tally was reported on the same day Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance at a town hall in Minnesota. Another Democrat, Rep. Maxwell Frost, was punched in the face in Utah last week. Capitol Police said both Democrats and Republicans have been the target of threats, which can arrive via social media, email, phone, and mail.