There has been an emerging body of literature on hate crimes and what triggers it to occur. Nevertheless, there is a research gap in how political leaders can affect the level of hate crimes, particularly violent hate crimes against minority groups. This thesis aims to contribute to this field of research by exploring: How does the use of hate speech by political leaders affect the level of violent hate crimes towards minorities? Deriving from theories of intergroup conflict and polarization, this thesis tests the hypothesis: When political leaders adopt hate speech there will be increased rates of violent hate crimes towards minority groups in societies. By utilizing a structured focused comparison, the paper compares the presidential elections in the United States of America in 2008 and 2020. The research finds partial support for the hypothesis, though limited empirical data suggests the need for further investigation on the topic.