Members of Congress face more and more threats of political violence, leaving them with a toxicity problem that has some people headed for the door.
After countless acts of political violence this year, many House members from both parties have spoken up about the threats they received to themselves and their families.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has spoken of an increase in threats against her, her family, and her business in light of recent attacks from her former ally, President Donald Trump. Greene said many attacks on her prior to recent events came from the Left.
“The hoax pizza deliveries have started now, to my house and my family members,” Greene wrote on X on Sunday. “Update: we also received a pipe bomb threat on my construction companies office building. President Trump’s unwarranted and vicious attacks against me were a dog whistle to dangerous radicals that could lead to serious attacks on me and my family.”
The Georgia Republican, who herself apologized earlier Sunday for “taking part in the toxic politics,” has faced a handful of attacks from Trump in recent weeks after breaking with him on issues such as expiring Obamacare subsidies, the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and foreign policy. The president has withdrawn his endorsement of her, while also encouraging a primary challenge against her.
Since these attacks began, the congresswoman has said she is facing a substantial increase in threats. She said the “toxic and dangerous rhetoric” that comes with politics must end, also saying the president has contributed to this narrative by putting a “target on my back.”
“When the President of the United States irresponsibly calls a Member of Congress of his own party, traitor, he is signaling what must be done to a traitor,” she wrote.
But Greene is not the only member of Congress who has had enough of the toxicity.
Earlier this month, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) announced his retirement at the end of this Congress, saying he has grown tired of the “incivility and plain nastiness” and citing recent acts of political violence and the threats he and his family have received.
“I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning,” he wrote in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News upon announcing his decision to walk away.
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), who was included on a hit list of dozens of members of Congress by the assassin of Minnesota Democratic Speaker Melissa Hortman, responded to Golden’s announcement on X.
“This is one of the most relatable things I’ve heard from a colleague ever,” he wrote. “Many of us will fully understand why he’s leaving, even if we’re disappointed he’s not coming back. He’s a really good guy. Congress and politics are broken. Staying in the fight to fix it is really important, and I suspect Jared will stay in the fight. Just not in Congress. Very honest, very clear.”
Golden is not the first member to cite this as a reason for leaving Congress. Former Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher stepped down after receiving death threats and swatting targeted at his family last year.
“This is more just me wanting to prioritize being with my family,” he said at the time. “I signed up for the death threats and the late-night swatting, but they did not. And for a young family, I would say this job is really hard.”
Earlier this month, House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia (D-CA) received threats in Washington, leading to Capitol Police arresting the suspect.
“The suspect attempted to enter the Congressional complex and had sent a message to the Congressman’s office stating that he was going to travel to Washington, D.C., to kill him. Congressman Garcia is in California and is safe,” a spokesperson said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had his life threatened last month by a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter.
“Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned,” Jeffries said in a statement following the threat.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been subject to many threats, as she was targeted earlier this year when her campaign office was vandalized.
The short-term stopgap funding bill, passed last week to reopen the government, included about $203 million in member security to be distributed to both chambers after U.S. Capitol Police noted in their 2026 Threat Assessment Cases could exceed 14,000 cases; final updated numbers will be pushed out early 2026. This is a drastic increase from 8,008 in 2023 and 9,474 in 2024.
“Members of Congress of both political parties receive a wide range of threats and concerning statements that are sent through the mail, email, telephone, social media, and the internet,” the USCP website reads. “People continue to have a false sense of anonymity on social media, which has resulted in more investigations during the past several years. Decreasing violent political rhetoric is one of the best ways to decrease the number of threats across the country.”
The toxicity isn’t just native to Capitol Hill, of course. The top Republican in the Colorado House of Representatives, Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, announced her resignation earlier this year to keep her children safe.
“The lies and hypocrisies the Majority spewed were beyond what I had ever expected, even in Colorado politics. It has been degraded, and the one word that is at the top of my mind is toxic,” she wrote in a letter.
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This year alone has seen the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the murder of Hortman and her husband, and Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D-PA) residence set on fire. Many members of Congress canceled in-person events following Kirk’s assassination due to an increase in threats.
“During moments like this, I believe we have a responsibility to be clear and unequivocal in calling out all forms of political violence and making clear it is all wrong; that shouldn’t be hard to do,” Shapiro said following the assassination of Kirk. “Unfortunately, some from the dark corners of the internet all the way to the Oval Office want to cherry-pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn.”