US Justice Department to form special ‘domestic terrorism’ unit as response to Jan. 6 riot

Kaylee Greenlee/Daily Caller News Foundation

President Donald Trump supporters gather at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

By Ailan Evans

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is planning to form a special unit focused on the threat of domestic terrorism, a top official told lawmakers Tuesday.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen announced the creation of the new unit in his opening remarks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday.

“I decided to establish a domestic terrorism unit to augment our existing approach,” Olsen said. “This group of dedicated attorneys will focus on the domestic terrorism threat, helping to ensure that these cases are handled properly and effectively coordinated across the Department of Justice and across the country.”

Olsen’s remarks come as authorities consider strategies to combat domestic terrorism a year after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, which many lawmakers and national security officials have called domestic terrorism. The DOJ official cited the incident as an example of challenges facing the department.

“The vulnerability of these targets, the insular nature of the process by which these individuals radicalize and mobilize to violence, and the limited communications they typically have with others regarding their plans pose significant challenges to law enforcement in its efforts to detect and disrupt these plots before they are carried out,” Olsen said in his written remarks.

Olsen also said that the threat of domestic terrorism from “extremist” individuals and groups is growing.

“We’ve seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,” he said.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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Image courtesy of Kaylee Greenlee/Daily Caller News Foundation

7 thoughts on “US Justice Department to form special ‘domestic terrorism’ unit as response to Jan. 6 riot

    • Almost. Anyone who disagrees out loud with Congressional democrats. And even if you don’t disagree out loud. Remember, silence is violence.

  1. I thought the Alzheimer ijit biden already has his gestapo fbi,keeping
    all dem criminals incriminating evidence hidden from the light of day??
    If no one from the Jan 6th voter fraud protest has been charged with terrorism I
    don’t see any sane reason another bloated government agency is needed…

  2. I think we need a special unit that deals with the Democrats that burn down their own cities.

    We could use some Anti-Karen Laws too, now that I’m thinking about it.
    And lets join the Defund Movement and start Defunding these schools and all these Green projects that are nothing but pipedreams..
    And I’d like no more men in the ladies rooms.. lets do that too.

    It seems as though the Left has totally forgotten that we will likely swing back to the Right again next and they are giving us wonderful ideas.

  3. “response to Jan. 6 riot…” What? Riots, neighborhoods torched, stores cleaned out, police and citizens attacked and killed, cars burned in the streets, neighborhoods declared “autonomous zones,” government buildings occupied and torched, assassination attempt on members of Congress – that was going on all year and the Justice Department just woke up? This isn’t even the first attack on the Capitol!

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