The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are concerned about the potential for violent “follow-on or retaliatory attacks” in response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
“Individuals in some online communities” have threatened or encouraged violence in response to attempted assassination, the FBI and DHS said in a joint intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN, which was dated July 15 and distributed to federal, state and local officials.
The attempted assassination of Trump “reinforces our assessment that election-related targets are under a heightened threat” of attack or disruption, the documents states.
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National security and law enforcement officials have been on edge since Saturday, when a gunman identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking the former president in the ear and killing one spectator and critically injuring two others.
The new intelligence bulletin does not identify a specific or credible threat of an attack.
However, the document says: “We cannot rule out the possibility” that some domestic violent extremists or other people may attempt follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence in response to the attempted assassination of Trump.
Intelligence assessments like the bulletin are routine in the aftermath of major security incidents.
Politico first reported on the bulletin.
There is also a general concern among law enforcement officials that extremists will step up attempts to disrupt or attack election-related infrastructure during the 2024 election cycle.
Domestic violent extremists “across ideologies are likely to view” a wide range of entities associated with elections as “viable targets for violence”, the bulletin says.
“Lone actors” or domestic violent extremists “operating in small cells” likely will continue to view publicly accessible locations like political rallies and campaign events as “attractive targets”, the bulletin adds.
Some of the tactics aimed at election officials that law enforcement is concerned about include hoax bomb threats, the leaking of officials’ personal information online, and “swatting,” in which a caller makes a bogus crime report intended to trigger a massive law enforcement response to a target’s residence.
“We remain concerned that the use of these tactics will increase,” the bulletin says.
The new threat assessment comes as the Republican National Convention continues this week in Milwaukee.
The convention could be an “attractive” target for violent extremists looking to sow chaos by disrupting a high-profile political event, federal agencies said in a previous assessment.
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In a statement, the FBI said: “While our standard practice is not to comment on specific intelligence products, which includes addressing their veracity, the FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve.”
A DHS spokesperson told CNN: “We continue to work with our partners to evaluate the threat environment, provide updates to the American public, and protect our homeland.”
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