Cameron Miranda
White nationalism and white terrorism are deeply rooted in white supremacist ideologies that have persisted throughout history, often resulting in violent acts. Despite the prevalence and deadly consequences of such incidents, there has been a historical lack of attention and effective response from Congress and federal law enforcement agencies. While the FBI has acknowledged the threat of white nationalist violence, the categorization of these crimes as terrorism is debated, and the existing legal framework may not adequately address the unique challenges posed by this form of extremism. This complex issue demands a nuanced approach that prioritizes accurate data collection, strategic resource allocation, and a commitment to protecting the civil rights of all communities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| White nationalist violence | El Paso shooting, August 2019 |
| Capitol riots, January 6, 2021 | |
| Mass shootings in El Paso and Pittsburgh | |
| Unpoliced public violence by far-right militants | |
| Rallies across the country since Trump's election | |
| 51 federal crimes of terrorism | |
| FBI's terrorism category for white nationalist attacks | |
| Racially Motivated Violent Extremism | |
| Domestic and International Terrorism Data Act | |
| Lack of a national strategy to identify white supremacist police officers | |
| Infiltration of law enforcement by white supremacists | |
| White nationalism as a form of white supremacy | |
| White nationalism as a reactionary movement | |
| White nationalism as a conspiracy theory | |
| White nationalism as a political movement |
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What You'll Learn
White nationalist violence and the FBI
The FBI has defined domestic terrorism as any act that violates US criminal laws, is dangerous to human life, and seems to be intended to intimidate civilians, influence government policy, or affect government conduct. The FBI's top priority is preventing terrorist attacks from foreign and domestic terrorists, also referred to as homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) and domestic violent extremists.
White nationalist violence falls under the category of domestic terrorism. White supremacist ideology has been responsible for some of the most lethal incidents among domestic terrorists in recent years. Leaders from various civil rights and faith groups have urged the FBI to address the threat to public safety posed by white nationalist violence. They have cited multiple attacks by white supremacists on houses of worship, including the killing of six people at a Sikh temple in 2012, the murder of nine African Americans at a church in 2015, and the killing of 11 people at a synagogue in 2018.
Despite the FBI's focus on counterterrorism after the September 11 terrorist attacks, only about 10% of resources were allocated to domestic terrorism, according to a 2010 audit. Right-wing extremists, including white supremacists, have carried out a disproportionate number of violent attacks. A report by the Brennan Center for Justice highlights that far-right terrorism has significantly outpaced other types of terrorism, including Islamist extremism.
The FBI has faced criticism for its handling of white nationalist violence. After the 2015 Charleston church shooting, then-FBI director James Comey refused to label the murders as an act of terrorism, despite the killer being a self-proclaimed white supremacist who wanted to start a race war. In 2020, the FBI eliminated the terrorism category used to track white nationalist attacks, replacing it with the category of ""racially motivated violent extremism." This move has been criticized for grouping white nationalist violence with the perceived threat of "black identity extremists."
Some argue that new domestic terrorism laws are unnecessary to combat white nationalist violence. The FBI already has the authority to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of such violence. Instead, it is crucial to ensure that the FBI allocates its resources effectively and appropriately tracks critical data related to white nationalist attacks and fatalities. Congress has also introduced legislation to address domestic terrorism, such as the Domestic and International Terrorism Data Act, which mandates that the FBI provide specific information on domestic terrorism investigations.
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White supremacist infiltration of law enforcement
The problem of racial bias among police is not new, and social media has made it easier to expose white supremacists within law enforcement. Several incidents have surfaced, including a North Carolina police officer fired after being pictured giving a Nazi salute on Facebook, and an investigation into a Philadelphia Police Department officer with a Nazi Party emblem tattoo. In 2014, two Florida officers, including a deputy police chief, were dismissed after being identified as Ku Klux Klan members by an FBI informant. These incidents highlight the persistent issue of explicit racism and bias in law enforcement.
The FBI's 2015 Counterterrorism Policy Directive and Policy Guide further emphasized the concern by stating that domestic terrorism investigations often identified active links between law enforcement officers and white supremacist extremists. Despite this, the government's strategy to address these connections has been inadequate. In 2019, when questioned about the FBI's stance on white supremacist infiltration, the FBI counter-terrorism chief, Michael McGarrity, indicated he had not read the 2006 assessment. While he expressed suspicion of white supremacist officers, he cited their ideology as a First Amendment-protected right.
The lack of a comprehensive strategy to address white supremacist infiltration in law enforcement is concerning, especially considering the rise in white supremacist violence. Studies have shown that right-wing attacks, including those by white supremacists, constitute a majority of terrorist incidents in the United States from 1994 to 2020. The assault on the Capitol in 2021 and multiple mass shootings motivated by white supremacist ideology have brought attention to the need to address this issue effectively. As the nation grapples with reimagining public safety, it is crucial to confront and resolve the persistent problem of explicit racism and bias within law enforcement.
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White nationalism and social media
White nationalism and white supremacy are often viewed as interchangeable, with the former considered a form of the latter. White supremacy is a political ideology that seeks to impose and maintain cultural, social, political, and institutional domination by white people. It has a long history, with its roots in the Atlantic slave trade, European colonialism, and other racist practices. Today, it is associated with neo-Nazism, the Christian Identity movement, and groups like the Aryan Nations, White Aryan Resistance, and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
White nationalism has been on the rise in recent years, fueled by unrestricted access to social media. Social media platforms have provided these groups with a powerful tool to spread their hateful messages and attract new members, particularly young white men. For instance, in the 1990s and 2000s, white nationalists built discreet online communities and websites, such as Stormfront.org, which had 30,000 members in 2005. However, as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter opened up to anyone with an email address, the reach of these groups expanded significantly. By 2015, Stormfront's membership had grown to 250,000, and between 2012 and 2016, white nationalists on Twitter saw a 600% increase in followers.
The presidential campaign of Donald Trump further contributed to the surge of interest in white nationalism in the United States. His campaign enjoyed widespread support from white nationalist groups, and his election reflected ongoing challenges with white supremacy in the country. The normalizing behaviors of social institutions, such as education, government, and healthcare, have been criticized for perpetuating the power of white people to control society's resources and make rules.
White nationalist violence has become an increasingly serious issue, with mass shootings and attacks motivated by white supremacist ideology. Despite this, federal law enforcement and Congress have been criticized for not giving it enough attention. While new domestic terrorism laws have been proposed to address this issue, some argue that they are unnecessary and create risks of abuse. Instead, it is suggested that existing authorities, like the FBI, should prioritize investigating and prosecuting white nationalist violence and track its spread on social media.
Social media companies have also taken action against white nationalist content. For example, Facebook has banned content that is openly white nationalist or separatist, recognizing that these ideologies are inherently linked to white supremacy and organized hate groups. However, white nationalists continue to find ways to spread their message online, and the problem of white nationalist violence persists.
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White nationalism and the Republican Party
White nationalism has been a feature of the Republican Party since the 1960s, when Richard Nixon's "Southern strategy" began to cultivate White fears and resentments toward African Americans. Over time, this broadened to include Hispanics, and the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016 saw White nationalist sentiments become explicit and an ideological pillar of the Republican Party.
Trump's campaign and presidency deliberately fomented and cultivated White nationalist sentiment, building on a long history of Republican strategies that exploit race as a wedge issue. This includes Ronald Reagan's evocation of the "welfare queen" stereotype in 1980, George H.W. Bush's airing of the Willie Horton ad in 1988, and George W. Bush's 2001 appointment of a neo-Confederate as Attorney General. Trump's mobilization of reactionary sentiment was an extension of this long-term Republican project of fomenting White racial fears and resentments.
The Republican Party has become increasingly undemocratic and authoritarian, deploying misinformation, court packing, and voter suppression to perpetuate White minority rule. This has resulted in a significant portion of the Democratic Party's electoral coalition being pried loose, making Trump's overt flirtation with White nationalism possible. The party's 50-year history of embracing and amplifying White racial animus and resentment will be difficult to shake off.
White nationalist violence has not received the attention it deserves from Congress or federal law enforcement. While the FBI has the authority to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of White nationalist violence, critical data on attacks and fatalities is often not tracked. Congress has introduced bills to address domestic terrorism, but these are seen as unnecessary and creating a risk of abuse. Instead, it is argued that the FBI should prioritize the investigation and prosecution of White nationalist violence and use its existing tools to combat this problem.
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White nationalism and the far-right
White nationalism is a racist, far-right ideology that seeks to maintain the dominance of white people in cultural, social, political, historical, and institutional spheres. It is underpinned by white supremacist beliefs and often manifests in the form of white separatist movements. White nationalists claim that white people are unfairly persecuted and even victims of a racial genocide, advocating for the creation of a white ethnostate. The number of white nationalist groups has been growing, with 165 active groups recorded in the US in 2023, the highest number ever. These groups have been emboldened by the far-right's increasing influence on American politics, with figures like Nick Fuentes seeking to harness the grievances of right-leaning Americans into an ethnonationalist political movement.
White nationalist violence has a long history in the US, with groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) using terrorist tactics to enforce white supremacy and target non-whites. Despite this, incidents of white nationalist violence have often been overlooked or under-prioritized by law enforcement and federal agencies. The FBI has acknowledged the presence of white supremacist infiltration within law enforcement itself, yet there remains no comprehensive strategy to address this issue or protect the communities affected. Instead, the focus has often been on expanding government surveillance powers, as seen with the Patriot Act post-9/11, which has raised concerns about privacy rights and effectiveness.
The Trump presidency further emboldened white nationalists, with his campaign enjoying their widespread support. The normalization of white supremacist behaviors within social institutions and the scapegoating of disenfranchised populations contributed to the rise of white nationalist sentiments. The Biden administration has sought to address this by shifting the counterterrorism focus towards "domestic violent extremists", but there are concerns about repeating the mistakes of the post-9/11 era, including the expansion of government powers and the suppression of ideologies.
To effectively combat white nationalist and far-right violence, experts argue for a focus on accurate data collection, prioritization of resources, and addressing the root causes of these ideologies. The Justice Department and FBI have been criticized for their failure to track critical data on white nationalist attacks and fatalities, as well as their masking of investigations and prosecutions. By maintaining accurate data and prioritizing investigations and prosecutions of white nationalist violence, policymakers can develop effective strategies to hold federal law enforcement accountable. Additionally, learning from the flawed post-9/11 counterterrorism tactics is crucial to avoid undermining democratic values and civil liberties.
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Frequently asked questions
White nationalist groups espouse white supremacist or white separatist ideologies, often focusing on the alleged inferiority of people of colour. They frequently claim that white people are unfairly persecuted by society and even the victims of a racial genocide. Their primary goal is to create a white ethnostate.
White terrorism refers to terrorist violence perpetrated by white supremacists, often motivated by white supremacist ideology and targeting people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and non-Christians, among others.
In the past, incidents of white nationalist violence haven't received the attention they deserve from authorities. However, there have been calls for treating white supremacist violence as "terrorism" and creating a new crime of domestic terrorism. The FBI has acknowledged links between law enforcement and white supremacist groups, and there are efforts to train law enforcement officials, educators, public health officials, and others to identify and report potential acts of targeted violence. Additionally, calls have been made for the Justice Department and FBI to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of white nationalist violence, maintain accurate data on these crimes, and hold federal law enforcement accountable.
