US intelligence agencies have identified local extremists with deep-rooted grievances conspiracy theories about the electionsincluding widespread belief in voter fraud and hostility toward political opponents perceived as the most likely threat of violence in upcoming elections.
In a Joint Intelligence Bulletin, not made public but reviewed by NBC News, FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents warn state and local law enforcement agencies that domestic violence extremists seeking to terrorize and disrupt voting are a threat to the United States. during elections and inauguration day.
The report identified potential targets as candidates, elected officials, election workers, members of the media and judges involved in election cases. Potential threats include physical attacks and violence at polling stations, ballot boxes, voter registration sites, rallies and campaign events.
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The October internal report was among several intelligence documents obtained through a public records request by Property of the People, a nonprofit group focused on government transparency. Federal agents regularly provide such threat assessments to state and local law enforcement agencies through official bulletins. Before January 6, 2021, they were more refrains from spreading Because Americans are concerned that their research could violate free speech protections.
“The United States remains in a high, dynamic threat environment, and we continue to share information with our law enforcement partners about threats posed by domestic violence extremists in the context of the 2024 election,” DHS spokeswoman Mayra Rodriguez said in a statement. “We have no place for violence in our policy, and DHS continues to work with our partners to assess and mitigate potential threats from domestic or foreign actors.”
Still, the reports “are not election threat intelligence,” said Ryan Shapiro, executive director of People’s Property. “The documents are certainly a product of a radically heightened threat environment.”
Former President Donald Trump has claimed the election was rigged against him since 2016, when he won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote. In 2020, he and his allies ramped up allegations of fraud — lies that were quickly overturned by the courts — but the allegations became fuel for a violent attack on the Capitol aimed at overturning the election.
Perceptions of election fraud are a “popular story” for extremists targeting government and election officials, according to the report. At least three homegrown extremist attacks and two botched assassinations since January 6 have been linked to such false claims, according to the report. Intelligence agents were also listed immigrationLGBTQ issues, abortion, and failed assassination attempts against Trump as motivations for extremists’ latest calls for violence.
Threats to election workers – letters containing white powder, online harassment and threats, and flutterAccording to the FBI, the number of hoax calls to emergency services that lead to potentially dangerous law enforcement responses to people’s homes has increased recently. According to the report, such threats usually originate from areas where election results are contested.
There was a reaction to the warnings made by the election officials rises security measures. Officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, the center of 2020 election conspiracy theories and challenges it is reported that it has been carried out and heightened security measures for election day, including metal detectors, armed guards, drones and police snipers.
The reports follow others released in recent weeks warns of an increase in online chatter about the impending civil war, as well as several violent or foiled attacks before the election. The agents wrote that some extremists are “reacting to the 2024 election season and important policy issues by engaging in illegal preparations or violent activity that they associate with the looming civil war narrative.”
A separate October bulletin from Colorado’s threat assessment center highlights the threats posed by people disputing the legitimacy of the 2020 election results. The report highlights the problem of “insider threats”, where people with access to the electoral process can try to disrupt it. He also noted “ongoing dialogue among individuals in extremist discussion groups and forums regarding the inaccuracy of the 2020 election results.”
The report cited an increase in white nationalist activism and recent incidents of targeted violence, including by the Proud Boy organization against Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. He also cited calls for violence on anonymous online message boards targeting election workers and undocumented immigrants as part of “preparation to protect against election theft.”