'At the edge of an abyss': Experts warn America could plunge into sectarian violence after election

Experts on international conflict resolution are warning that the United States is on the verge of seeing a wave of sectarian violence unleashed by the 2020 presidential election.

In interviews with NPR, several experts said the United States is exhibiting troubling signs that other countries that have been plagued by sectarian violence have shown in recent decades.

"We thought we were immune to it," said Tim Phillips, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Beyond Conflict. "When we looked at our own problems, we thought: 'Of course we have some big issues, but we're in a sense immune from an us-versus-them mindset, a sectarian mindset, where there could be real conflict.'"

Hrair Balian, director of the Conflict Resolution Program at the Carter Center, tells NPR that the United States right now is bringing back memories of things he witnessed in Lebanon.

"We have become intolerant, we have started dehumanizing the other side," Balian said. "We are at the edge of an abyss, and we better see this and try to step back before it is too late."

And Stephen Pomper, senior director for policy at the International Crisis Group, tells NPR that President Donald Trump is the single biggest driver pushing Americans toward sectarian violence.

"Probably the biggest issue is the president of the United States right now, who has portrayed himself as somebody who, you know, is not necessarily interested in calming the waters," he said, and added that Trump "might actually court unrest in order to serve his political and personal goals."