Homegrown terror has been purported to be America’s greatest security threat. Specifically, the United States federal government has identified right-wing extremists as the most likely culprits. Numerous plots created by this group have been discovered and defeated before they could be executed. However, since 2002, they have taken at least 48 lives and perpetrated 18 attacks against Americans.
Right-wing extremism comes from the idea that America has lost its way and the federal government is corrupt. Adherents often subtly modify their legal names and refuse to associate their address with known zip codes in order to circumvent imagined secret contracts that the government uses to control the allegedly ignorant masses. They organize themselves into private militias and refuse to honor American law due to the government’s perceived corruption. However, they work painstakingly to ensure that they are not obviously seen by others as being radical.
Right-wing extremists have taken to online channels to coordinate their ideas and promote their views. They often subscribe to many different conspiracy theories regarding the U.S. government. Ultra-conservative radio and television hosts fed them new material that resonates with their beliefs and stirs them to action.
This right-wing extremism trend has seen exponential growth since President Obama took office in 2008. Many extremists have decided that Obama is an illegitimate President and his election proves their belief in widespread government corruption. In 2015, an advertised military training exercise in Texas sparked a massive uproar among extremists who viewed it as a sign that Obama intended to declare martial law and illegally extend his term by force.
Many Republican candidates have personally promoted government corruption theories to extremists and reaped the rewards at the polls. However, this strategy has ultimately cost the Republican party in the long-term as extremists have grown discontented with a prolonged lack of action. This has led to the party favoring non-traditional candidates like Donald Trump. These events have caused bitter internal feuding that threatens to devastate the GOP for years to come.