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Congress

Longtime Lawmakers Yearn for a Time When Political Violence Was Rare

“You weren’t worried about doing town hall meetings,” Rep. Tom Cole told NOTUS.

Tom Cole

Rep. Tom Cole says political violence has worsened since he first ran for the House in 2002. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

By Em Luetkemeyer

November 3, 2025 05:30 a.m.

The longest-serving members of Congress blame different factors for worsening political violence in America, from the internet to the president to political division.

But they all agree on one thing: Political violence is much worse now than when they first took office.

“There was a decorum when I was first elected,” Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving congresswoman in history, told NOTUS in the Capitol rotunda. “Your opponent was not your enemy, they were your adversary.”