In *Strong> Blood & Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America*, National Review writer Noah Rothman contends that political violence in the United States has deep roots on the left as well as the right. He argues that a bipartisan history of extremism is often obscured by media narratives, allowing cycles of aggression to repeat.
Scope of the Book
The volume opens with the 2025 murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, described as an assassination carried out by a leftist extremist. Rothman places this event alongside the third assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, suggesting a pattern of escalating hostility toward right‑wing figures.
Historical Cases Cited
Rothman surveys a range of incidents spanning a hundred years. He begins with early‑20th‑century anarchist actions and the 1970s Weather Underground, then moves forward to more recent events such as the 2018 plot to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots that followed George Floyd’s death, and the 2023 firebombing of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home. He also records the 2023 antisemitic murder outside Washington, D.C.’s Jewish Museum, noting how such attacks have become “grim routine”.
The author highlights the New York Times’s description of Seattle’s 2020 autonomous zone as a “homeland for racial justice”, arguing that such praise contributed to a collective amnesia about the zone’s descent into chaos.
Political Commentary
Rothman is critical of Democratic figures he believes offer “pregnant buts” – condemning violence while simultaneously justifying its causes. He names Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, as examples. At the same time, he faults the Republican Party for failing to hold its own members accountable after the January 6 Capitol attack, calling the response a missed opportunity for genuine accountability.
Rothman's Personal Reflections
Writing as a conservative commentator who focuses on combating antisemitism, Rothman admits that repeated exposure to violent incidents has dulled his reaction. He observes that the “fiery but mostly peaceful” riots of 2020 now feel distant, and that the steady stream of attacks has fostered a numbness he sees as part of the problem.
Publication Details
Center Street will release *Blood & Progress* on 27 August. The book runs 368 pages and is priced at $30.
First reported by the source material.