WASHINGTON (AP) – The Department of Homeland Security has issued a national terrorism bulletin Warning on Wednesday of the potential for continued violence from people prompted by anti-government sentiment following President Joe Biden’s election, suggesting January 6 riot at the Capitol can encourage extremists and pave the way for additional attacks.
The department did not mention a specific threat, but pointed to “an increased threat environment in the United States” that it believes “will continue” weeks after Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
It’s not uncommon for the federal government to warn local law enforcement officers through bulletins about the prospect of violence related to a particular date or event, such as July 4.
But this particular bulletin, released through the department’s National Terrorism Advisory System, is notable for effectively placing the Biden administration into the politically charged debate about how to describe or characterize acts motivated by political ideology and suggests that it sees violence that aimed at election as terrorism.
The wording of the document suggests that national security officials see a connecting thread between recent violence of the past year motivated by grievances against the government, be it COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results and the use of force by the police . It also cites racially motivated acts of violence, such as the 2019 rage against Hispanics in Texas, as well as the threat from extremists motivated by foreign terrorist organizations.
“Information suggests that some ideologically motivated violent extremists who object to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false stories, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,” the bulletin said. .
No ideological or political beliefs were mentioned, but the potential for violence by “a wide range of ideologically motivated actors.”
The warning comes at a tense moment after the riot in the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump who tried to reverse the presidential election. DHS also noted violent riots in “the past few days,” a clear reference to events in Portland, Oregon, associated with anarchist groups.
The warning was issued by acting Secretary of Homeland Security David Pekoske. Biden’s candidate for the cabinet post, Alejandro Mayorkas, has not been confirmed by the Senate.
Two former homeland security secretaries, Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano, called on the Senate to confirm Mayorkas so that he can partner with the FBI and other agencies and face the threat from domestic extremists, among others.
Chertoff, who served under President George W. Bush, said in a conference call with reporters that attacks by far-right, domestic extremists are not new, but the deaths attributed to them in the U.S. in recent years are higher than those attributed to them. related to jihadists such as al-Qaeda. “We have to be honest and face what the real risk is,” he said.
Federal authorities have charged more than 150 people with the siege of the Capitol, including some with links to far-right groups such as the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers.
The Justice Department announced charges Wednesday to 43-year-old Ian Rogers, a California man who was found with five pipe bombs this month during a search of his company and who had a sticker related to the Three Percenters on his vehicle. His attorney told the paper in his hometown, The Napa Valley Register, that he is a “well-respected small business owner, father and family man” who does not belong to any violent organization.