Critics argue that the Biden administration has deemed the MAGA movement a significant threat to American democracy. They claim that in preparation for the upcoming 2024 presidential campaign, the enforcement arm of the Democratic Party, commonly known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been tasked with monitoring and surveilling Trump’s supporters.
Newsweek appears to support these claims, as an October 4 report suggests that the FBI is actively “targeting MAGA voters.” In response, the FBI released a statement confirming that one of its “top threat priorities” is addressing “anti-government or anti-authority violent extremism.” The FBI emphasized that the threat posed by domestic violent extremists is persistent, evolving, and potentially lethal.
However, in their statement, the FBI sought to clarify that they are not singling out any specific movement, stating, “We are committed to protecting the safety and constitutional rights of all Americans and will never initiate an investigation solely based on First Amendment protected activities, including an individual’s political beliefs or affiliations.” Nevertheless, more than 1,000 individuals arrested in the aftermath of the January 6 protest may have a different perspective.
FBI Director Christopher Wray continues to stress that the events of January 6, 2021, were not isolated incidents, and the threat they represent is far from disappearing anytime soon.
Reacting to the Newsweek report, political scientist and owner of Unity Training Solutions LLC, Carol Swain, expressed her concern in a LinkedIn post, stating, “Every American should be alarmed by this development, and every Republican presidential candidate should publicly denounce the politicization of the FBI. We are facing a concerning situation akin to a Banana Republic. Where are the Republicans with courage?”
In a joint report to Congress in June, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlighted the increase in threats from domestic violent extremists (DVEs) over the past two years. They anticipated that further increases in threats would likely coincide with critical events, such as high-profile elections, campaigns, or contentious current events.
The report also noted that sociopolitical developments, including allegations of fraud in the recent general election, the encouragement stemming from the US Capitol breach, conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and conspiracy theories promoting violence, could potentially drive some domestic terrorists towards violent actions.
Newsweek’s William F. Arkin pointed out that the threats mentioned in the report are clearly associated with right-wing groups in the United States, particularly Trump’s MAGA supporters. He highlighted that shortly after January 6, the FBI issued a restricted report titled ‘Domestic Violent Extremists Emboldened in Aftermath of Capitol Breach, Elevated Domestic Terrorism Threat of Violence Likely Amid Political Transitions and Beyond’. This report marked a significant shift in the FBI’s terminology, redefining AGAAVE (anti-government, anti-authority violent extremism) from ‘furtherance of ideological agendas’ to ‘furtherance of political and/or social agendas’. This subtle but crucial change allowed such groups to be categorized based on their political affiliations.
Arkin concluded, “It was a subtle alteration that went largely unnoticed, but it represented a major departure for the Bureau. Trump and his legion of supporters were now recognized as a distinct category of domestic violent extremists, despite the FBI publicly maintaining that political views were never a part of their criteria for investigating or preventing domestic terrorism.
