Chairman Thompson: Trump Administration Continues to Politicize Homeland Security and Law Enforcement, Ignore Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism Threat

Statement

Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Trump Administration's continued failure to confront the threat from right-wing domestic terrorism, while politicizing the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice:

"The evidence is clear: right-wing domestic terrorism is the most pressing violent threat facing the country. Not only have Trump Administration officials -- including Chad Wolf and Bill Barr -- given comfort and cover to far-right extremists, but they also seem singularly focused on falsely casting the President's perceived political enemies as a grave threat. Disturbing statements that the Administration is "investigating' protestors -- including Black Lives Matter -- take things to a new, disturbingly low level in service to the President's shortsighted political aims. It is completely disingenuous for Administration officials to continue these attacks while ignoring the right-wing threat.

"In two weeks, Mr. Wolf is scheduled to testify before the Committee with top officials from the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center. I fully intend to ask Mr. Wolf about investigations of Americans engaged in constitutionally protected activity and his reluctance to address the lethal threat from right-wing terrorism in a public way.

"Under a law that I authored that was enacted last year, the public has a right to know about the domestic terrorism threat. A report was due to Congress in June to give a clearer picture of this threat, with data to back it up. However, the Administration has yet to produce this report as required by law. We need more information now."

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