Capitol Police: Threats against Congress up nearly 58% last year, a new record

WASHINGTON - The United States Capitol Police (USCP) said threats against members of Congress, their families and their staffs reached a new high in 2025, with nearly 15,000 cases investigated. 

A 58% increase from 2024

By the numbers:

According to a press release from the department, the U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section specifically handled 14,938 cases in 2025, up from 9,474 in 2024—a nearly 58% increase. 

The release of these figures comes following an attack Tuesday on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who was sprayed with a syringe full of liquid after being approached at the podium during a town hall meeting in north Minneapolis related to the current ICE operations in the area. 

Political rhetoric and violence 

Dig deeper:

Officials said these threats against Congress came through mail, email, phone and social media, and targeted both Democrats and Republicans; they believe that the rise in threats is partly due to a false sense of anonymity online and an increase in violent political rhetoric.

"Decreasing violent political rhetoric is one of the best ways to decrease the number of threats across the country," the press release stated. 

It's not just rhetoric either—political violence nationwide has been on the rise for years. Take for example, the assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk last year; Kirk was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University during a stop on his American Comeback Tour.

What's next:

In order to combat these increased threats, Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said in a statement that the department has been "strengthening partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the country to keep the members of Congress safe when they are away from Capitol Hill." 

The release stated that the number of formal agreements with local law enforcement agencies jumped from about 115 to more than 350 in 2025, helping coordinate protection for lawmakers in their home districts.

"For any agency that does not have a formal agreement with us, I would encourage them to proactively reach out," USCP Intelligence Services Bureau Director Ravi Satkalmi said in a statement. 

The USCP also detailed attorneys to the Department of Justice as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who consulted on 875 cases and worked on 1,705 subpoenas in 2025, per the release.