Americans are extremely divided — seemingly more so than at any time in recent history. Now talk of "civil war" has crept up.

Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Producer

Civil war? More people see political rivals as enemies

Sep 08, 2022

Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Social Media Producer), Chris Field (Senior Editor)

Americans are extremely divided — seemingly more so than at any time in recent history. Now with stories of political violence making headlines, ongoing fights and threats over ideological splits on key issues, and growing distrust in core institutions, talk of “civil war” has crept up.

The pronounced divide is backed up in polling numbers. According to a new CBS poll, 49% of Republicans see Democrats as “enemies” and not just “political opposition.” And 47% of Democrats say the same about Republicans.

The nation’s division has led to nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans saying they believe political violence will increase in the coming years.

These major divides are echoed in the highest quarters of American leadership. Just last week President Joe Biden called MAGA Republicans a “threat to our very Democracy” and to the “very foundations of our republic.”

In response, former President Donald Trump accused Biden of delivering “the most vicious, hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president” and declared that Biden is “an enemy of the state.”

The fiery rhetoric is charging up voters ahead of the 2022 midterms, with social media users and celebrities going so far as to float the idea of a new civil war. One of the most prominent examples came this week when comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted, “If you don’t want a Civil War, vote for Democrats in November. If you do want Civil War, vote Republican.”

According to a recent poll from YouGov, the concern over a civil war is quite real: 43% of Americans told pollsters that they believe a civil war is likely in the next 10 years.

Exactly how or when a civil war would happen is not predictable, but experts say there is a pattern. Such conflicts tend to be started by people who who have had and lost power or are threatened with losing power. Experts also warn that a new civil war in the U.S. would look very different from the last one.

AMERICANS ARE EXTREMELY DIVIDED

WITH POLITICAL VIOLENCE MAKING HEADLINES – AN IDEOLOGICAL SPLIT OVER KEY ISSUES – AND GROWING DISTRUST IN CORE INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBERS BACK IT UP*

ACCORDING TO A NEW CBS POLL, NEARLY HALF OF ALL DEMOCRATS SEE REPUBLICANS AS THEIR ENEMIES.
AND ABOUT HALF OF REPUBLICANS SEE DEMOCRATS AS THE SAME

IT’S *ECHOED* IN THE HIGHEST QUARTERS OF AMERICAN LEADERSHIP:

BIDEN: “THEY’RE A THREAT TO OUR VERY DEMOCRACY”

TRUMP: “HE’S AN ENEMY OF THE STATE YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH”

THAT TYPE OF RHETORIC IS CHARGING VOTERS AHEAD OF THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS – WITH SOCIAL MEDIA USERS AND EVEN CELEBRITIES GOING SO FAR AS TO FLOAT THE IDEA OF CIVIL WAR

ACCORDING TO A NEW YOUGOV POLL THAT’S A GROWING CONCERN: 43% OF AMERICANS SAY A CIVIL WAR IS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT LIKELY IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS-

EXACTLY HOW OR WHEN THAT WOULD PLAY OUT IS UNPREDICTABLE BUT EXPERTS SAY THERE IS A PATTERN:

“THE PEOPLE WHO TEND TO START CIVIL WARS ARE GROUPS THAT HAD ONCE BEEN POLITICALLY DOMINANT BUT HAVE EITHER LOST POWER OR ARE THREATENED WITH LOSING POWER

“WE SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT TALKING ABOUT CIVIL BECAUSE PEOPLE TEND TO BELIEVE IT’S GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE LAST ONE. NO IT’S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT”