The anti-Trump protesters who turned violent in San Jose, California, may look like a paradox to the general American public: using violence to fight against an accused fascist. But the fights that broke out on June 2 were not merely coincidental scuffles but, rather, a harbinger of America’s toxic election battle.

The story is becoming a little too familiar. Supporters leaving an election rally were surrounded by protesters, and then arguments turned into fights. Signs were snatched, hats were burned, eggs were thrown, cars were kicked, people were punched, and police were told to hold off from engaging directly for 90 minutes, in order to not exacerbate the violence.

Watching actual footage leaves a greater impact.

https://twitter.com/NickyWoolf/status/738572825385017344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

There were a number of unprovoked attacks—unless, of course, sharing different political opinions is a license for violence.

https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/738561162980134913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/marcusdipaola/status/738572899808743424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

One particularly abhorrent scene developed as a Trump supporter was surrounded by hundreds of protesters.

https://twitter.com/Jacobnbc/status/738580604736786434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

After the event, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted that “the thugs were lucky supporters remained peaceful!” President Barack Obama warned his supporters at a fundraising event in Miami:

It is very important for us to remind ourselves of who we are and what is best about American democracy and not slip into some of the bad habits that currently manifest themselves in the other party.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said, “While it’s a sad statement about our political discourse that Mr. Trump has focused on stirring antagonism instead of offering real solutions to our nation’s challenges, there is absolutely no place for violence against people who are simply exercising their rights to participate in the political process.” Across social media, people called for the mayor’s resignation based on the remarks, and others rebuked the San Jose Police Department for not doing enough to stop the violence.

Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker asked in “This Election Disaster Is Not America’s ‘Best Hope’,” “In whom are you placing your trust?” Is it in the United States politicians?

(Listen to Trumpet Hour staff discuss violent protests, which have been occurring around Trump rallies.)

Hateful or derisive rhetoric is not limited to a specific party. For months, political commentators, on the right and on the left have denounced candidate Trump as a fascist. One writer for the National Review elucidated that the consequences of that accusation were seen in San Jose:

If you call Trump a fascist often enough, people will begin to believe you. If you insist that this is a “Weimar moment” in which Western democracy is mortally threatened, a Weimar moment is what you’ll get. Given the number of Americans predisposed to believe a fascist with a real shot at the presidency can only be defeated through violent means, the conditional statement that begins with “If Donald Trump is a fascist” can only end one way.When pundits tell their readers that a fascist is mustering his forces to destroy American democracy, those readers react in a way that might be appropriate if Hitler’s reincarnation were indeed on the way to winning the presidency.

Others go even further than simply denouncing Trump. One editor at Vox was suspended over a tweet which said, “Advice: If Trump comes to your town, start a riot.” He later explained himself by telling followers, “It’s very simple: All violence against human lives and bodies is categorically immoral. Property destruction is vastly more negotiable.”

It is hard to believe that in the most prosperous country of the most prosperous era in the world, where free speech—even outright lies—is protected vehemently by the Constitution, “civil disobedience” is becoming a more popular method of dissent.

As Joel Hilliker related in his article:

Every four years, Americans get swept up in political promises of hope and change, reform, shaking things up, taking the country back, making America great again. Then we are disillusioned for another four years. Now, this time around, many people seem disillusioned even before the general election campaign has begun. The slogans are ringing hollow, even for many partisan voters. …With thousands of years of failure to look on, why then do we cling to our conviction that a solution is almost in sight?