Threats toward members of Congress, their families, staff and the Capitol complex surged in 2025, according to the U.S. Capitol Police, with over 5,000 more incidents reported than the previous year.
The police force’s Threat Assessment Section investigated 14,938 “concerning” statements, behaviors and communications, the agency said in a news release this week.
It’s a sharp increase from 2024, when 9,474 threats were investigated by USCP. These threats — which include everything from social media posts to more direct targeting of lawmakers — mark the third year in a row that USCP has seen an increase in the number of threats made.
As the number of incidents continues to rise, Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said in a statement that USCP has been “strengthening” its partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the country so members can remain safe when they are away from Capitol Hill.
“We want to make sure agencies have the resources they need to be able to enhance protection, which is critical to the democratic process,” Sullivan said.
In recent years, the nation has seen an increase in political violence, with some targeting members of Congress.
On Tuesday, a man was arrested after charging Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and spraying her with an unknown substance during a town hall.
In September, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking at a college campus. Last summer, a gunman shot two Minnesota state lawmakers, killing one. Two months before that, an arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside. And during the 2024 presidential campaign, a gunman shot President Donald Trump at a political rally during an attempted assassination.
USCP on Wednesday said one of the best ways to combat the number of threats facing legislators around the country is to decrease violent political rhetoric — a sentiment both Democrats and Republicans have been urging their counterparts to do each time violence breaks out.
As Capitol Police continue to monitor threat assessments, the department has expanded its Protective Intelligence Operations Center, which launched in 2024 as a way to process reports regarding the safety of the legislators. The 24/7 center works with the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms to monitor members’ safety, the agency says.
“We, and both Sergeant at Arms, are seeing an increase of reporting through our outreach efforts with the Congressional Community,” said Jeanita Mitchell, acting assistant chief of police for protective and intelligence operations.
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