*According to the Department of Homeland Security, white supremacists will remain the most “persistent and lethal threat” in America through 2021.
Violent extremists have taken advantage of the social and political unrest sweeping across the nation. As such, Politico reports that the most recent version of the State of the Homeland Threat Assessment anticipates an “elevated threat environment at least through” early 2021.
The draft report goes on to say that terrorist threats from foreign organizations “probably will remain constrained in their ability to direct such plots over the next year.”
The DHS makes clear that white supremacist extremists are the most harmful individuals in the U.S.
READ MORE: Ben & Jerry’s Launching Podcast Series Aimed to ‘Dismantle’ White Supremacy in America
White supremacists will remain the most “persistent and lethal threat” in the United States through 2021, according to Department of Homeland Security draft documents https://t.co/2h828GwdCH
— CNN (@CNN) September 8, 2020
“We judge that ideologically-motivated lone offenders and small groups will pose the greatest terrorist threat to the Homeland through 2021, with white supremacist extremists presenting the most lethal threat,” says a draft of the State of the Homeland Threat Assessment 2020.
Two other drafts use “Domestic Violent Extremists presenting the most persistent and lethal threat” instead of “white supremacist extremists,” per CNN.
All the reports state: “Among DVEs [Domestic Violent Extremists], we judge that white supremacist extremists (WSEs) will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland through 2021.”
The three draft reports were made public by Lawfare Editor in Chief Benjamin Wittes, and each outlines the host of threats, including cyber, foreign influence and irregular migration.
The final 2020 threat assessment has not been publicly released.
Meanwhile, President Trump has regularly downplayed the threat of white supremacist violence and recently said systemic racism does not exist.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
