As the country deals with the aftermath of the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, the Biden administration is set to make domestic terrorism a significant focus of the National Security Council (NSC).
Domestic extremism was considered a priority threat to the new administration even before the Jan. 6 attack, but the urgency of the issue has been heightened since.
The FBI and other agencies warn that the extremists will likely pose a threat to the Senate impeachment trial just getting underway this week, particularly by the groups who believe in the accusations of fraud in the 2020 election.
Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden‘s national security adviser, has planned to conduct an early, comprehensive assessment of the extremist threat to counter it. The administration is expected to make a series of early announcements of NSC personnel focused on the threat.
Biden’s choice for DHS secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, told lawmakers last week that if confirmed, he’ll ensure an attack like the one on the U.S. Capitol “will not happen again.”
“We still have much to learn about what happened that day and what led up to the insurrection. If I should have the honor of being confirmed, I will do everything I can to ensure that the tragic loss of life, the assault on law enforcement, the desecration of the building that stands as one of the three pillars of our democracy, and the terror felt by you, your colleagues, staff, and everyone present, will not happen again,” he added.
