Domestic terrorism advisory bulletin from DHS

The Department of Homeland Security recently issued a bulletin warning of increased threats of domestic terrorism.

Brette Steele from the McCain Institute of International Leadership is an expert on domestic terrorism and she spoke on this bulletin which in part reads, “Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.”

To explain the basics of the January 27th bulletin from DHS Steele stated, “Really what they’re trying to indicate is a heightened threat level that continued well beyond the events of January 6th. So they’re looking at a variety of forms of domestic violent extremism. Looking at the grievances, they listed a range of grievances, everything from Covid-19 lockdowns, concerns over the election, and concerns over police brutality, but basically saying heighten threat environment risk of continued violence.”

In response to a question about if this threat comes from groups or specific individuals Steele answered that both are the threat and continued to explain, “One of the things we saw on January 6th and frankly in the several months preceding it as those events were planned is that there’s a convergence of different movements across this country. You’ve got white supremacists violent extremists, you’ve got some anti-government and militia type movements and you’ve also got some more conspiracy theory type movements like Qanon and so you’ve got a convergence of these different ideologies for lack of a better word that are all at the conclusion that violence is the only answer.”

Reverting back to the events of January 6th Steele believes the events at the capitol that day both emboldened and turned people for and against these kinds of domestic terrorist groups.