Rumors of War
How Experts Are Preparing for Disruption at the Polls
Hate crimes and domestic terrorism are real risks surrounding the election
Seven days after President Trump told the Proud Boys, a hate group that espouses a self-described “Western chauvinist” ideology, to “stand back and stand by” on national television, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about groups like it.
“I am particularly concerned about white supremacist violent extremists who have been exceptionally lethal in their abhorrent, targeted attacks in recent years,” wrote Chad Wolf, the interim DHS chief, in an October 6 report detailing the agency’s top security concerns. Domestic violent extremism, the agency concluded, is one of the country’s greatest national security threats. Just two days later, federal investigators arrested a group of men who were planning on kidnapping and holding hostage Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (In April, Trump tweeted, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”) An FBI agent would later testify that those same men also discussed kidnapping Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
Experts on right-wing violence and extremism are urging the American public to consider the threat these groups pose to voters — both on Election Day, when Trump urged his supporters to…
