US Terrorism Alert Warns of Politically Motivated Violence

FILE – In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo smoke fills the walkway outside the Senate Chamber as supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers inside the Capitol in Washington.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Homeland Security Department has issued a national terrorism bulletin warning of the lingering potential for violence from people motivated by anti-government sentiment after President Joe Biden’s election. The bulletin suggests the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol may embolden extremists and set the stage for additional attacks. The department isn’t citing a specific threat. But DHS points to “a heightened threat environment across the United States” that it believes “will persist” for weeks after Biden took office. The wording suggests national security officials see a thread between recent violence over the past year motivated by anti-government grievances, whether over COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results, or police use of force.

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