Religious Outlet Says Violence Must Be Option if Republicans Lose Midterms

A religious news outlet said violence must be an option if Republicans lose the 2022 midterm elections.

Many Americans are on edge over the potential of violence surrounding the hotly contested midterms Tuesday night. Tensions were high as voters headed to the polls to determine whether Democrats or Republicans would win key races to control Congress for the next two years, and some authorities have warned the situation could turn violent.

Trust in U.S. election integrity fell following the 2020 presidential election, particularly among conservatives, amid former President Donald Trump's claims of election fraud, which have not been backed up by credible evidence.

One organization is now calling for its supporters to keep the possibility of violence on the table. Michael Voris, a host at the right-wing religious media outlet Church Militant, said violence may be needed if Democrats hold onto their congressional majorities in a segment posted online Tuesday.

"Now, we are in a pitch battle in the political arena. The last remaining line for all-out civil war. If you love peace and you don't want to see violence, then you better get involved on the political front," he said.

He continued: "And let's be clear about this for all of the phony or delusional pacifists out there, violence in and of itself is not immoral. It depends on the circumstances, and sometimes even, it's necessary."

He added that he believes "lethal violence" should not be conservatives' "first resort," and it should not "be allowed to turn into an orgy of dominance over the foe." He continued to explain that he believes violence may be needed on issues including reproductive and LGBTQ rights.

"Nonetheless, violence must always be an option," he said. "Welcome to a fallen world."

Police and election officials across the United States spent the weeks prior to the midterms preparing for the possibility of violence, Newsweek previously reported.

John Cohen, former intelligence chief for the Department of Homeland Security, previously told Newsweek that the threat of violence "is the most dangerous I've ever seen in my entire 38-year career."

In New York, for instance, police issued a bulletin warning that "political rallies, poll workers and voting sites" could be "targets for opportunistic violence" by "racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists and anti-government, anti-authority violent extremists."

The U.S. has seen several instances of political violence in recent years. Notably, on January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt at blocking Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.

At the end of October, Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked by a man who had previously expressed support for right-wing conspiracy theories, including election denialism.

Newsweek reached out to the Vatican for comment.