MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace claimed Wednesday it is “obvious” that the right relies on “extremists” to build their base following Tuesday’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warning of violence around the midterm elections.
Former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi said that “things are going to get worse” and pointed to January 6 as alleged evidence of possible violence around the upcoming midterms.
Figliuzzi said he monitors the chat rooms of “violent extremists” who allegedly talk about things like the overturning of “Roe v. Wade and the soft targets that will be presented by pro-choice protesters who come out against that. There’s violence being talked about on, even on both sides of that issue.”
Figliuzzi then noted how heartbreaking the testimony from Garnell Whitfield, whose mother was killed in the Buffalo, New York, mass shooting, before Wallace jumped in. (RELATED: Democrat Warns Elections Could Be Marred By Violence From ‘White Supremacists’)
“Frank, if Mr. Whitfield’s mother was killed by foreign terrorists, the Democrats and the Republicans on the committee would be promising him the moon. What is, I mean, is it as obvious as it seems, that domestic violent extremists are an important part of the voting coalition on the right? I mean, what is the structural impediment to pardoning the homeland against domestic violent extremism?” Wallace asked.
“So, we heard the issues again ad nauseam today, which are important,” Figliuzzi said. “There is a clear distinction in treating domestic terrorism as a threat, because of First Amendment, freedom of speech. We don’t want to police ideology. Freedom of assembly. We don’t want to monitor people’s discussions, chat, groups, backyard barbecues. We can’t have that. So, we seem to walk away from the whole issue because we seem unable to take on that challenge.”
“But you’re absolutely right, the threat is domestic. We should be treating it like international terrorism. We have a law against international terrorism. We all get entire law enforcement, intelligence community energized at the moment of an intelligence, an international terrorism threat, but yet, we still don’t have a domestic terrorism law, and Nicolle, we’re not going to have one in the foreseeable future, certainly not with the divided nation we’re in.”
The DHS released a bulletin Tuesday warning that “the nation remains in a heightened threat environment, and we expect that environment will become more dynamic in the coming months.”
The bulletin claims “several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets” which include “public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S., critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents.”
An anonymous DHS official said overturning Roe v. Wade could be a possible triggering factor, according to The Associated Press.
The DHS previously warned in mid-May that violence in the wake of the decision could come from either side of the political aisle. Two pro-life centers were firebombed almost immediately after the draft opinion was leaked. A Buffalo pro-life pregnancy center was firebombed Tuesday, with activists allegedly smashing windows and setting fire to the office.
The alleged assailants spray painted the building with the tag “Jane Was Here,” a phrase associated with the pro-choice group “Jane’s Revenge,” which has claimed responsibility for several other attacks.