Feds warn that racist extremists, anti-government militias were emboldened by Capitol breach

A pro-Trump mob at the Capitol last week.
(Image credit: Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Federal authorities on Wednesday issued a joint intelligence bulletin cautioning that last week's assault on the Capitol will be a "significant driver of violence" for white supremacists and armed militia groups.

The bulletin, dated Jan. 13 and sent by the National Counterterrorism Center and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, warns that extremists looking to trigger a race war or civil war "may exploit the aftermath of the Capitol breach by conducting attacks to destabilize and force a climatic conflict in the United States." Racist extremists and anti-government militias "very likely pose the greatest domestic terrorism threats in 2021," the agencies said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.