Scoop: A white supremacist accused of arson of a civil rights landmark in Tennessee has now been charged with providing material support to Hezbollah for allegedly giving the group a list names of individuals associated with Israel. www.courtwatch.news/p/162-nazis-...

"Digital platforms collapse geographic boundaries, consequently allowing individuals to access and internalise forms of violence that have no historical precedent in their own societies." @gnetresearch.bsky.social

I’m deeply honored and grateful to be named a 2026 National Security & Counterterrorism Fellow with the @mccaininstitute.bsky.social. An incredible opportunity to join outstanding thinkers and practitioners to advance the critical mission of keeping communities safe across the Five Eyes.

"We are living in a violent moment, and we should expect to see more acts of violence against both public figures and the general public in the weeks and months ahead." On the fallout from #Minneapolis, with @hoffmanbruce.bsky.social for @georgetown-sfs.bsky.social.

Was the #Trump administration right to use the term "domestic terrorism" to describe protesters in #Minneapolis, including Alex Pretti? In short, no. My colleague @hoffmanbruce.bsky.social and I address this important question in a @georgetown-sfs.bsky.social Q&A.

When protesters in Minneapolis are accused of “domestic terrorism,” what does that really mean? SFS Profs Bruce Hoffman & Jacob Ware discuss the history of domestic terrorism, the role of guns and the consequences of extremism in modern day politics. Read more: https://bit.ly/3Zfp1ve

Was the #Trump administration right to use the term "domestic terrorism" to describe protesters in #Minneapolis, including Alex Pretti? In short, no. My colleague @hoffmanbruce.bsky.social and I address this important question in a @georgetown-sfs.bsky.social Q&A.

"I sent a message to high-place people in the administration with three letters, W.T.F." Fascinating look at a possible fracture on the right. @sophiacai.bsky.social

Sen. Lindsey Graham is spot on: “If something happens to the Kurds, then we’ll have a hard time recruiting allies in the future. [...] There’s no reason for them to be punished for helping America.”

This would indeed be explosive if true, but I would encourage deep skepticism lacking further confirmation. Someone like Zhang either suddenly going turncoat or being a longtime US asset without being detected is nigh incomprehensible

I’m pretty stunned this has not been bigger news (buried by Minneapolis?). Not only has China’s top military general possibly leaked nuclear secrets to the US, but details of a private high-level briefing were leaked to the @wsj.com. @lingling-wei.bsky.social @chunhanwong.bsky.social

"The array of U.S. programs engaged in what can be understood broadly as democracy work played a long game [...]. The administration has spent the past year dismantling the lion’s share of that effort." @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social

"If we continue to show disdain for our allies, if we fail to appreciate their contribution to our national security and greater global stability, we may find ourselves fighting alone someday." @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

'Dios, armas y sedición', Bruce Hoffman y Jacob Ware

“What happened to the whole ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ crowd?” Really good piece by @vermontgmg.bsky.social on #Minneapolis and how #ICE and #CBP raids help redefine anti-government extremism and might supplant non-state far-right terrorism.

For what it's worth, here's how Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh viewed law enforcement before his 1995 attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building: "For all intents and purposes, federal agents had become 'soldiers.'" (McVeigh's Apr. 26 Letter to Fox News, 2001)

“Bauer has been a teacher for 25 years, a period that has included a rise of school shootings and the drills that have become common to protect against them. ‘But I never thought it would be our own government we had to protect the kids from.’”

“Before, it was more subtle, more nuanced, but now it’s pretty plain. He wants to see more immigration from the Nordic countries, and not so much from the Third World countries. It’s just a clear break from the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Well, this is a new one: a terrorist plot in Australia designed to “promote a new phase of civilisation powered by artificial intelligence.”

Now #Cuba prepares for irregular warfare. “Cubans practiced for a ‘war of all the people’ to repel invaders. Television broadcasts showed elderly people firing worn AK-47 rifles, and portly matrons planting mines.” 🇨🇺

"Turning away from multilateral counterterrorism cooperation would cede this space to adversaries," the @washinstitute.bsky.social's Michael Jacobson and @mattlevitt.bsky.social warn after the U.S.'s withdrawal from three international organizations with CT missions.

“An ally that insists on the transfer of territory, by force or blackmail, is not a terribly reliable one, if it can be called an ‘ally’ at all.” Good analysis of Europe’s dwindling options on #Greenland by @daliborrohac.bsky.social in the @thebulwark.com.

An outstanding batch of new nonresident fellows at the Irregular Warfare Initiative — as always! irregularwarfare.org/iwi-fellows/

"Among all the internet’s darkest corners [...] 764 is the vilest for the innocence it devastates." Essential reporting from @seamushughes.bsky.social and @courtwatch.bsky.social on nihilistic violent extremism and 764, a movement whose "common denominator is cruelty."

A quick question: wouldn’t Greenland becoming American actually make us (much) more vulnerable to Russian missiles? Or are we already openly admitting that the lives and security of “Greenlandic-Americans” matter less? (image credit: @wsj.com)

“An ally that insists on the transfer of territory, by force or blackmail, is not a terribly reliable one, if it can be called an ‘ally’ at all.” Good analysis of Europe’s dwindling options on #Greenland by @daliborrohac.bsky.social in the @thebulwark.com.

"History is written by the victors. I reflect on that often in the context of #January6, wondering what history books will write, given that the movement emerged triumphant." Sober reflections alongside @amymcgrath.bsky.social and @hoffmanbruce.bsky.social on the @truthinthebarrel.bsky.social pod.

So cool to see Nora Neus's #January6 oral history 24 Hours at the Capitol (@beaconpress.bsky.social, 2025) in the wild. President #Trump may disagree, but I still firmly believe “it’s going to require a national reckoning to find our way out of this situation.” @leannschneiderwebb.com

"What begins as an American, largely online phenomenon, thus becomes a portable script for violence that can be adopted by teenagers in any country with the same platforms and subcultures." Tremendous work by @valdemarballe.bsky.social for @gnetresearch.bsky.social.

So cool to see Nora Neus's #January6 oral history 24 Hours at the Capitol (@beaconpress.bsky.social, 2025) in the wild. President #Trump may disagree, but I still firmly believe “it’s going to require a national reckoning to find our way out of this situation.” @leannschneiderwebb.com

There's still time to join us for this online event!

Quick reminder: I'll be sharing some recent research on youth radicalization alongside terrific co-panelists today at 10am with @gwupoe.bsky.social. Register here! 👇

FWIW: my biggest terrorism concern for 2026 is the continued proliferation of nihilistic violent extremism (NVE), a youth-driven blend of neo-Nazism, school shooterism, inceldom, and sexual predation that has already inspired extensive violence. @lawfaremedia.org

Really smart take by Jim Crotty in Small Wars Journal on #Venezuela, the #Maduro operation, and what it might mean for a "renewed rendition program." Features an important conclusion: "As the saying goes, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should."

My friend @colinpclarke.bsky.social's annual terrorism forecast is always essential reading. This year, he warns of a "global and ideologically heterogeneous terrorist threat landscape" featuring a jihadist resurgence, cartels, and drone terrorism.

And there it is: lawyers for alleged #January6 pipe bomber Brian Cole plan to argue for a presidential pardon.

Deeply honored to contribute to RSIS NTU's annual threat assessment report for the Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses journal. My article looks at trends in Western far-right terrorism in 2025 and beyond. rsis.edu.sg/ctta-newsart...

"Statements about seizing territory will not bring Canada, Denmark, and #Greenland closer to the United States; if anything, it will push them further away." Great work by @ibayoumi.bsky.social in @foreignpolicy.com.

"Will also focus on the online media environment, including how social media platforms, misinformation, & high-production propaganda normalize & amplify extremist views." (H/T @jacobware.bsky.social of @gwu1821.bsky.social's Illiberalism Studies program & co-author of "God, Guns, and Sedition")

Virtual & open to all: • "Explore real-world pathways that can lead a young person from curiosity or grievance to full ideological commitment" • "Examine adolescent identity formation, search for belonging & purpose & psychological factors that can increase susceptibility to extremist narratives"

'America the Exporter'

Deeply honored to contribute to RSIS NTU's annual threat assessment report for the Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses journal. My article looks at trends in Western far-right terrorism in 2025 and beyond. rsis.edu.sg/ctta-newsart...

Looking forward to joining @gwupoe.bsky.social to discuss the critical topic of youth radicalization on Thursday at 10am!

Translation: expect more civilian deaths.

Recommend revisiting last month’s revealing reporting by @drewharwell.com and @joyceshlee.bsky.social on recent #ICE recruitment strategies, which seemingly valorize aggression and violence and risk attracting “untrained recruits eager for all-out combat.”

"No-one will take seriously a weak and divided Europe [...]. We must finally believe in our own strength, we must continue to arm ourselves, we must stay united like never before. One for all, and all for one. Otherwise, we are finished." 🇬🇱🇪🇺 www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Do we need new language to describe today’s mass violence? Writing in @lawfaremedia.org, Jacob Ware makes the case for “nihilistic violent extremism” as a better lens for attacks tied to incel culture, school shootings and other chaos-driven violence. Read more: https://bit.ly/4pPrmZw

@jacobware.bsky.social in @us.theconversation.com: "Available data on military recruitment suggests U.S. gun violence may be largely to blame for the lack of interest in joining the military... Gun violence destroys youth tolerance for the violence that defines a career in the U.S. military."

New piece! Laura K. Field provides an overview of her book, Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, touching on the key themes, figures, and her approach. Check it out! @ieres-gwu.bsky.social @lkatfield.bsky.social

The great @hoffmanbruce.bsky.social: “We’re only as good as the last terrorist attack that’s been prevented. Terrorists are consummate opportunists. When they see an opportunity to take advantage of a gap in security [...] they will act.” @clarkeatamerica.bsky.social