WASHINGTON (AP) – The Department of Homeland Security has issued a national terrorism bulletin Wednesday’s warning about the potential for persistent violence by people motivated by anti-government sentiments after the election of President Joe Biden, suggesting that the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill may encourage extremists and set the stage for further attacks.
The department did not cite a specific threat, but pointed to “a high threat environment in the United States” that it believes will “persist” since Biden took office on January 20.
“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 complaints fueled by false narratives, may continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,” the bulletin said.
He did not mention any ideological or political affiliation, instead he warned more broadly about “individuals frustrated with the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived ideological complaints and causes fueled by false narratives”.
These individuals, said DHS, “can continue to mobilize a wide range of actors with an ideological motivation to incite or commit violence.
It is not uncommon for the federal government to alert local authorities through newsletters and warnings about the prospect of violence linked to a specific date or event, such as July 4.
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 overturn the election as similar to terrorism.
The text of the one-page document suggests that national security officials see a common thread between the recent violence in the past year prompted by anti-government complaints, either because of COVID-19 restrictions, the results of the 2020 elections or the use of force by the police. It also highlights racially motivated acts of violence, such as the 2019 riot against Hispanics in Texas, as well as the threat posed by extremists motivated by foreign terrorist organizations.
The warning comes at a tense moment following the Capitol rebellion by supporters of then President Donald Trump who sought to overturn the presidential election. DHS has also observed violent disturbances in the “last days”, an apparent reference to events in Portland, Oregon, linked to anarchist groups.
The alert was issued by the interim Secretary of Homeland Security, David Pekoske. Biden’s cabinet nominee, Alejandro Mayorkas, has not been confirmed by the Senate.