Old DHS Report Comes Home To Roost

We're facing an epidemic of white supremacist violence, spurred on by their leader, demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's vicious and racist rhetoric. From the massacres at the Pittsburgh synagogue and El Paso to the pipe bombs sent to Trump targets by a loon who was just sentenced for the crime, white nationalist / nativist violence is a domestic terrorism crisis.

Recall ten years ago, after the election of President Obama, when the Department of Homeland Security published a report that identified the rise of white supremacist groups -- including right-wing militias and neo-Nazi organizations -- as a growing threat. After blowback from Rethuglicans who see right-wing domestic terrorists as part of their base, the report was withdrawn and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized for offending wingnuts. One of the DHS analysts, Daryl Johnson, whose team prepared the assessment, is speaking out now about how his assessment was prescient, and how his career was destroyed by right-wing pressure:

"If the message I sent out had been heeded, and people took it seriously, we would have had more resources. That could have tempered the growth of what we have seen over the past ten years. There would be fewer extremists, and fewer attacks, because by now, 10 years removed from the warning, we would have mature programs.

But the political fiasco surrounding the report created a chilling effect in the law enforcement and intelligence community. It indicated that this topic is radioactive and you better stay away from it. If you pursue it, there’s going to be hell to pay: that was the message."  (our emphasis)

As to why the Rethuglicans don't want to talk about violent white supremacy being a problem:

"Partly because they’re the ones who are arming Americans. No matter how many times you can try to blame the person for carrying out the act, they still have access to weapons that are meant for war.

And I also believe, going back to their campaign strategy for the 2010 midterms, there’s blood on their hands. They’re definitely fanning the flame and providing the fuel, and it’s all to win elections."  (our emphasis)

With Trump ordering the disbanding of DHS's domestic terror intelligence unit in April, it's apparent  that he and his diseased party will act as enablers to violent white supremacists as long as they remain in the fold.