Duke University Prof. David Schanzer on political violence, the state of the presidential election

News & Views

Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy Professor David Schanzer (Courtesy photo)

We’re in the midst of the dog days of summer, but it’s been anything but quiet of late when it comes to this year’s national presidential election. Between the horrific assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, the convening of the Republican National Convention that followed close on its heels, and the ongoing debate surrounding the readiness of the two main candidates and their sharply differing views on a host of key issues, the election has been THE national news story in recent weeks.
Fortunately, at this time in North Carolina, we’re lucky enough to be the home state of one of the nation’s most insightful analysts of national politics and, importantly, the political violence that has become all too familiar in our world. Prof. David Schanzer teaches at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, is the Director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, and also writes about our challenging political climate at the substack site Perilous Times. He joined Newsline’s Rob Schofield recently for a special two-part conversation.

In Part One of our special extended conversation with national politics and terrorism expert Prof. David Schanzer of Duke University, we discussed the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and any connection it might have to our current heated political environment.

In Part Two of our chat, we continued our discussion of President Biden’s legacy and what it would mean for Democrats to nominate a different candidate, what we can and can’t glean from public opinion polls, and importantly, the fact that the election will serve as a referendum on a host of enormously important policy debates with huge implications for the nation’s future.

Editor’s note: Our interview with Professor David Schanzer was recorded in advance of President Biden’s announcement on July 21, 2024 that he was withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Read more from David Schanzer at the Perilous Times substack.