The Actual Threat

THE EXTREMISTS

America’s most dangerous extremist threat is not ANTIFA but the far-right fringe of the MAGA movement, where racism, religious nationalism, and contempt for constitutional democracy increasingly converge to justify violence and authoritarianism.

Extremists of all stripes claim to right great wrongs; to represent that which is self-sacrificing and noble; to lead the uninformed masses either back to a grand and glorious past or into a bright and promising future. They are utterly convinced of the rectitude of their cause. They are therefore self-righteous. They are also extravagant in their claims. It sure sounds a lot like the far-right fringe of the MAGA political movement, who represent positions that are racist, religiously based, and anti-Constitutional. Typically, these violence prone extremists are easily misled by the self-interested and unscrupulous, Donald Trump for example.

This president identified ANTIFA as a domestic terrorist organization in an executive order. But, according to The Hill, “ANTIFA lacks “…formal leadership and structure…”. Moreover, the political objectives of those who identify with ANTIFA’s goals are anti-Fascist, anti-authoritarian, and supportive of democratic norms. But there is still more. Trump’s DOJ removed a 2024 study from its website that stated, “The number of far-right attacks continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violence extremism.” The insurrection that took place at the US Capitol Building in 2021 still resonates. Here, extremists claiming to be patriots, committed horrendous acts of violence in the service of a corrupt sitting president who is pathologically unable to admit defeat. These acolytes, generally Caucasian, proclaim to be anti-immigration; anti-Black; anti-Muslim; and oftentimes antisemitic, anti-abortion, anti-elite, anti-government, anti-tax, and anti-vax. In fact, it is difficult to know precisely what the far-right wing of MAGA supports beyond pasty complexion and in-your-face religious faith, leading inexorably to violence.

ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL

MAGA’s right wing extremists are also relentlessly anti-constitutional. They appear to believe in the absolute right of the individual to pretty much do as they please. During the pandemic, disciples of MAGA in many cases refused to wear masks and repudiated vaccinations based on the absurd notion that both were somehow an invasion of their right to choose. They took no notice that their exercise of rights endangered others through the spread of COVID and resulting deaths. They seemed to be all about individual rights without bearing any responsibility for their actions or lack thereof. Their issues with our constitutional democracy did not end with the pandemic. In his quest to establish an authoritarian regime in his second term, this president is seeking to restrict voting, is promoting grossly- expanded executive authority,, has challenged the 14^th Amendment; and is ignoring the separation of powers. Regrettably, these unlawful positions are also found within what passes for moderation within the MAGA Movement as a whole.

RELIGION IN POLITICS: A BAD IDEA

Hindus, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Rastafarians, Jews, Animists, Wiccans, and the many fractured sects of Christianity–as well as those practicing no religion, are all guaranteed the same protection under the law, whereas this administration asserts that Christianity is to be the Religion of the State. Under the US Constitution, religion is supposed to be a protected and private matter, and rightly so. When religion goes public, belief comes to dominate all public discourse. Those who believe differently are marginalized, imprisoned, or killed. Am I being unnecessarily alarmist? I do not think so. Religious fanaticism has been responsible for more spilled blood than any other cause in history.

RACIAL VIOLENCE: STILL THRIVING

It is often repeated that slavery is America’s original sin. That stain was not washed clean by the US Civil War: far from it. Racism subsequently went underground. Separate but equal really meant Jim Crow Laws, poll taxes, and midnight lynchings – all designed to control Blacks and suppress their right to vote. Black Americans remain today far behind whites in nearly every metric used to judge the health of a society with the notable exception of the rates of incarceration. In 2024, the FBI identified “11,679 hate crime incidents” with over half relating to anti-Black bias. White House demands for increased Congressional gerrymandering, designed to suppress the Black vote, have become a national embarrassment. Stripping Black people of their Constitutional right to have their vote count is another form of violence that merely wears a contemporary suit of fancy clothes instead of a pointy hat. Violent white supremacists find shelter in the far-right of the MAGA movement.

CONCLUSION

This presidential administration’s focus on ANTIFA is a red herring. The greater threat of violence is from the far-right of the MAGA movement. That threat is defined by the confluence of multiple influences. Three of the more prominent are anti-constitutionality, twisted religion, and violent racism. These positions and beliefs have served to create, support, and expand the ranks of today’s MAGA right-wing extremists. A secular government – intended by the Founders – requires reason and compromise. Religion requires belief. Racism requires stupidity. Anti-Constitutionality requires lawlessness. Whether or not America can withstand these negative influences remains an open question. With the upcoming mid-term elections and given this Oval Office’s history of fomenting MAGA far-right extremist violence, I fear there is much worse to come.

With special thanks to Professor (emeritus) Ben Lawton of Purdue University

Robert Bruce Adolph , a qualified Military Strategist,is a retired senior US Army Special Forces soldier. He holds graduate degrees in both National Security Studies & International Affairs and was formally trained as a counterintelligence special agent. Robert also taught university level courses in American Government, US History, and World Politics. Following his retirement from the active military, he joined the UN, subsequently seeing service in Sierra Leone, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Indonesia and more, culminating in the role of Chief of the Middle East and North Africa at UN Headquarters in New York. He is the author of “Surviving the United Nations,” now out in a second edition. He is a member of The Steady State.

Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 400 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines, including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs, and law, we advocate for constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and the preservation of America’s national security institutions.