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The United States Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism bulletin on Wednesday warning of the persistent potential for violence by people motivated by anti-government sentiments after Joe Biden’s election.
The bulletin suggests that the uprising of a crowd of Donald Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 may encourage extremists and set the stage for further attacks.
DHS did not cite any specific plots, but pointed to “a high-threat environment in the United States” that it believes will “persist” for weeks.
It is not uncommon for the federal government to alert local authorities via newsletters about the prospect of violence linked to a particular event or date, such as the Fourth of July holiday. But this specific bulletin, issued through the department’s national terrorism advisory system, is notable because it effectively puts the Biden government in the politically charged debate about how to describe or characterize acts motivated by political ideology and suggests that it sees violence in order to overthrow the election as similar to terrorism.
The wording of the document also suggests that national security officials see a common thread between recent violence in the past year prompted by anti-government complaints, including Covid-19 restrictions, the results of the 2020 elections and the use of force by the police. It also highlights acts of violence motivated by racial motives, such as violence against Latinos in El Paso, Texas, in 2019, as well as the threat posed by extremists motivated by foreign terrorist organizations.
“The information suggests that some ideologically motivated violent extremists and objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived complaints fueled by false narratives, may continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,” the bulletin said.
A DHS statement accompanying the bulletin pointed to the potential for violence from “a wide range of ideologically motivated actors”. He also observed violent disturbances in the “last days”, an apparent reference to events in Portland, Oregon, linked to anarchist groups.
“The domestic terrorist attack on our Capitol earlier this month illuminated a threat that has been right in front of us for years,” said Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi who is chairman of the House’s internal security committee. “I am happy to see that DHS fully recognizes the threat posed by violent right-wing extremists and is working hard to communicate that threat to the American people.”