United States and Canada Overview: May 2026

Demonstration trends

This section provides key figures on demonstration events, which includes incidents categorized as "Protests," and "Violent demonstrations" as recorded by ACLED. For more information on event and sub-event types, see the ACLED Codebook

Radical group trends

This section provides key figures on far-right and white nationalist groups.¹

United States: Data centers facing rising demonstrations and increasing legislative challenges

Demonstrations against data centers are on the rise in 2026. In recent years, the United States has accelerated the construction of data centers to feed an appetite for computational power and memory driven by the growing market for artificial intelligence.² More than 4,000 data centers are already operational across the US, with another 3,000 planned or under construction.³ According to the Pew Research Center, 42% of Americans live within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of an operational or planned data center.⁴ As the pace of building increases, so, too, has local opposition to the centers’ power, water, and land-use needs, driven by environmental and economic concerns. Close to 75 demonstrations against the construction of data centers have been held so far this year. Over 40% of them took place in April alone, roughly equaling the number of anti-Trump demonstrations during the month. 

Lawmakers on every level of government have responded to public opposition on the legislative front. Across the country, hundreds of bills have sought to restrict data center construction or reduce the financial incentives offered by at least 38 states.⁵ In late April, Maine Governor Janet Mills’ veto was the sole obstacle preventing the passage of a bill that would have established the first statewide moratorium on data center construction.⁶ Meanwhile, in Festus, Missouri — a town of 12,000 — voters ousted all four incumbent members of their city council following the approval of a new data center.⁷ 

On 6 April, an unidentified perpetrator shot 13 times into the home of Indianapolis City Councilor Ron Gibson, leaving a note on his doorstep that read “No Data Centers.” Gibson was at home at the time of the shooting, but he was not injured. This act of violence represents an immediate and growing risk around data centers, from further attacks against local officials to potential acts of sabotage or destruction targeting the centers themselves.⁸ 

United States: Lone actor violence remains the top threat to political figures

During the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on 25 April, a lone gunman attempted to charge through a security checkpoint, presumably with the aim of assassinating President Donald Trump.⁹ The suspect, who was staying at the Washington Hilton where the event was held, allegedly exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents, who subdued and arrested the man before he was able to access the ballroom where Trump was attending the dinner. During the gunfire exchange, one Secret Service agent was shot and sustained minor injuries. In emails sent to his family before the attack, the suspect claimed to be unwilling to permit a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor” to represent him in an apparent reference to Trump and the Epstein files.¹⁰ This marks the third attempt to assassinate President Trump. All three were carried out by lone actors. 

More broadly, this incident fits a trend of lone actor violence targeting high-profile political figures. From the assassination of Charlie Kirk in September 2025 to the assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in June 2025, violence targeting political figures has consistently been carried out by individuals enabled by widespread and easy access to firearms. In a political environment that is increasingly polarized, the threshold for violence is much lower, creating a volatile and unpredictable climate of political violence.