(The Center Square) – The chair of the Illinois Republican Party is speaking out after a “disturbing act of vandalism” targeting a suburban GOP office, calling it a “symptom of escalating political hostility.”
Kathy Salvi condemned the incident at the Wheeling Township Republican headquarters in Arlington Heights, where two elderly suspects allegedly defaced the property with Nazi symbols, profanity, and what police described as feces or an unknown substance.
“What happened in Arlington Heights is terrible,” Salvi told The Center Square Monday. “Targeted political violence and vandalism… has no place in our country.”
Authorities have arrested and charged the suspects – both in their late 60s and early 70s – in connection with the incident. Salvi praised law enforcement for acting quickly and said she expects the individuals will be held accountable.
Salvi pointed to what she described as increasingly extreme political language as a driving force behind such acts.
“When you disagree with a policy… to call Trump Hitler, it invites these acts of violence,” she said. “That kind of rhetoric makes us all less safe.”
Kathy Salvi argued that inflammatory comparisons – such as equating immigration enforcement agencies with the Gestapo – can “stoke” individuals into committing destructive acts.
While the suspects’ ages surprised some, Salvi dismissed the idea that political violence is tied to any one demographic.
“I think it’s across the board,” she said, adding that heated political discourse can influence people of any age.
She also reflected on her own experience as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022, saying she faced harassment, threats, and public hostility during her campaign.
“I was spat at… cursed,” Salvi said. “It’s one thing to disagree. It’s another to engage in slurs and violence.
Despite the incident, Salvi said Republicans will continue to advocate for their positions and engage in public dialogue, urging a return to what she described as respectful political engagement.
