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Politics

17th Jan 2021

Far-right extremism is a bigger threat than Islamist terrorism, says ex-FBI director

Former FBI director James Comey believes far-right extremism is a bigger threat to the United States than Islamist terrorism

Alex Roberts

He believes the current administration is to blame

Former FBI director James Comey believes far-right extremism is a bigger threat to the United States than Islamist terrorism.

Comey was speaking to LBC in the wake of Donald Trump’s record second impeachment.

Trump was blamed for instigating riots at the US Capitol on January 6th. The incumbent president began the day with a rally outside the US Capitol, where he continued to peddle the myth that November’s presidential election was fraudulent and “stolen” from him.

Later that day, pro-Trump mobs stormed the historic building while Congress was in session, verifying Electoral College votes. Police were attacked as those responsible went about their rampage. The carnage that ensued led to five deaths, with at least one police officer among the fatalities.

Many people, Arnold Schwarzenegger included, believe Trump incited violence.

The former Governor of California said “Trump sought a coup by misleading people with lies”.

It seems former FBI director James Comey is in agreement.

When asked if the far-right was a bigger threat than radical Islam, Comey said he thought so – adding it is nothing new for America.

He said his predecessor even went on record to state that the far-right is the single biggest threat in America.

Comey then added: “The threat has slowly risen as Donald Trump and those around him have withdrawn the control rods.

“America has always had a radioactive stew of racist conspiracy-minded misogynist people oriented towards violence. We’ve always had that in this country.”

The ex-FBI man said the work of his colleagues in the security services has always helped to stave off a far-right uprising.

“But we’ve managed over generations to contain it inside a containment building as you would with a nuclear waste pile and put control rods down into it which were cultural.

“And that calmed the radiation. And over the last five years Donald Trump and those around him have pulled the rods out with signals and dog whistles and sometimes explicitly…”