For a long time, the only attacks you were likely to face as an American politician would come at the hands of the press or political rivals.

But with a rising tide of political violence across the country, lawmakers now have to confront the increasing likelihood they could be targeted by a gunman or have their homes burned down. By comparison, a stinging opinion column does not look so bad.

Attacks on politicians have become a regular occurrence – much like school shootings, which in other countries would have prompted a national reckoning, but in the US now struggle to make the news.

Experts say the US is becoming an increasingly fractious, polarised country where violence has become part of the political discourse.

Not so long ago, deadly attacks might at least have meant “thoughts and prayers” before the news cycle moved on. But now, politicians themselves are being accused of fanning the flames of the violence.

Critics say the deadly attacks are being used as pawns to one-up the other side.

In a country where four of its 47 presidents have been killed in office, the spectre of assassination is never that far away – but there are now fears the US is spiralling into a cycle of violence it will find impossible to escape.

Early on Saturday morning, Melissa Hortman, the Democrat speaker of Minnesota’s House of Representatives, and her husband were gunned down by a man dressed as a police officer. John Hoffman, a Democrat state senator, and his wife were also shot, but are expected to survive.

Authorities located what appeared to be a hit list in the suspect’s car, which reportedly named 70 other Democrats and state abortion providers.

Vance Luther Boelter, who was arrested and charged on Monday, allegedly wrote a text to his family that read: “Dad went to war last night.”