The Department of Homeland Security says that white supremacists will be the most “persistent and lethal threat” in the U.S.
According to the Department’s draft documents, the new report predicts an “elevated threat environment at least through” early 2021.
The report, obtained by Politico, puts white supremacists over foreign terrorist organizations, saying the terrorists “probably will remain constrained in their ability to direct such plots over the next year.”
The report also includes cyber, foreign influence, and irregular migration as threats, but conclude that white supremacist extremists are the deadliest of all.
“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,” the drafted report reads.
In another version of the draft, though, it refers to “white supremacist extremists” as “Domestic Violent Extremists presenting the most persistent and lethal threat.” The final version is not available to the public yet.
“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,” it adds.
This comes as Trump has galvanized his supporters and applauded them for being behind him, like in 2017, when he called the violent extremists in Charlottesville “fine people.”
He’s also called Blacks Lives Matter a “symbol of hate” and has downplayed the damage white supremacists have caused.
