Media report warns of violence, conflicts ahead of U.S. midterm elections

Photo taken on Nov. 23, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

"It is possible that there will be other instances of violence like we saw on January 6," said Carole Emberton, a history professor at the University at Buffalo who specializes in the American Civil War, referring to the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.

NEW YORK, March 30 (Xinhua) -- One of the worst-case scenarios prior to the 2022 U.S. midterm elections is that political violence escalates and armed conflict erupts, as lawmakers in several states vote to secede from the country and the federal government refuses to let them go, U.S. financial news website Business Insider reported on Tuesday.

"The notion of political divisiveness causing a full-blown civil war might seem unlikely, even unthinkable. But some political scientists say they are not ruling it out entirely," said the report.

The heightened political tension between Democrats and Republicans ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, coupled with the rise of far-right extremism, could create more violence in the upcoming months and change the country, according to the report.

"It is possible that there will be other instances of violence like we saw on January 6," said Carole Emberton, a history professor at the University at Buffalo who specializes in the American Civil War, referring to the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.

"When you have politicians who are riling everyone up and law enforcement that is sort of wishy-washy or weak in its response, then I think you have a really volatile mix that emboldens these kinds of groups to continue with what they are doing," she said.

In the meantime, a 2021 poll by Bright Line Watch and YouGov found that 37 percent of respondents expressed a "willingness to secede" from the union, noted the report, adding that people living in the South were most likely to indicate secessionist leanings.