White supremacists pose the most lethal threat to the United States, according to a draft report from the Department of Homeland Security.
“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 draft report reads.
The department cited the ongoing protests against racial injustice as events that may trigger an attack from a white supremacist, according to a report from CNN. The report noted the U.S. will face an “elevated threat environment at least through” 2020 because of the demonstrations and the contentious election that could give white supremacist terrorists an opportunity to strike.
The department acknowledged that threats from foreign terrorists still remain, but it noted that such groups “probably will remain constrained in their ability to direct such plots over the next year.”
The draft report also detailed the persistent threat of election interference from Russia, which it noted “probably will be the primary covert foreign influence actor and purveyor of disinformation and misinformation” in the U.S.
There are three versions of the draft report that have been reviewed by Politico. All three list white supremacy as the most significant threat facing the U.S., though the exact language varies. The final version of the 2020 threat assessment has not been made public.
