Republican Extremism Is Harming National Security

According to veteran security officials and terrorism researchers, the widespread acceptance of conspiracy and disinformation amounts to “mass radicalization” of Americans and increases the risk of right-wing violence.

“This tent, which used to be dominated by ‘far-right extremists,’ has expanded significantly. As a former counterterrorism official, I see this as a radicalization process “said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor who oversaw terrorism cases and is now a federal judge.

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Jason Dempsey, a military analyst and former Army officer on the panel, said too many people are turning to force as a response to fears over political divisions, whether through the military and law enforcement, or the formation of local armed groups. The election-rigging rhetoric only ups the ante as Democrats are painted no longer just as fellow citizens with different views but as enemies who must be vanquished.

“There are no easy answers, even if they’re carrying guns and wearing body armor,” Dempsey said. “We’ve got to get past that and be wary of the idea of militarism that doesn’t lead to a common conception of service, but leads to the kind of tribalism where we have to protect ourselves and our families by force against those we disagree with.” On the conference call, the analysts agreed that the leftist fringe also is hardening and promoting its own conspiracies. But they said there’s simply no equivalency with the right in terms of the volume of disinformation and conspiracy, or in its connections to violent acts.

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