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Welcome to Talking Feds. A round table that brings together prominent figures from government,

law, and journalism for a dynamic discussion of the most important topics of the day.

I'm Harry Littman. In the words of Walt Kelly, we have met the enemy and they are us.

After 20 years of reflexively looking at terrorism as a threat arising from faraway lands,

the country is confronting a scourge of terrorists in the homeland. Domestic terrorist attacks

are at the highest point in decades. The most serious come disproportionately from far-right white

supremacists, targeting people of color, Muslims, Jews, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community.

And of course, government itself. The trauma of January 6 reflected the special and serious

threat that domestic terrorists pose. The marauders at the Capitol sought to impose damage not on

Americans, but on America itself. And their crimes were so vicious precisely because they aimed

to undermine the foundations of democratic rule. And startlingly, the insurrection has served as a

strong recruiting tool for the oath keepers and other groups who have seen their ranks swell

by dozens or hundreds of new members. The presidency of Donald Trump put wind in the

sales of domestic terrorists, but even with the former president swept grudgingly off the scene,

groups such as the proud boys and three percenters continue to flourish. How directly is their

growth tied to the miserable bitter politics that our Trump's legacy to the country?

Are they fully homegrown or are they partially propped up by foreign adversaries and in particular

Russia? How are they able to recruit new members? Has the federal government been caught flat

footed by the paradigm shift? Most importantly, is there any policy prescription for uprooting

and crippling them as we have been able to do with at least some international actors?

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