DHS warns of higher risk from domestic extremists

The United States could face a heightened threat of domestic extremist violence for weeks from people angry at Donald Trump's election defeat and inspired by the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Department of Homeland Security warned on Wednesday.

This report produced by Chris Dignam.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism alert on Wednesday - its first in about a year - warning that the country faces a heightened threat of violent domestic extremists who are angry with the outcome of the presidential election.

In a national terrorism advisory, the department said: "Information suggests that some ideologically motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence." The advisory comes after the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan.

6 by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, who had repeated false claims of widespread voter fraud in the November election.

It also follows the inauguration of Joe Biden as president last week amid heightened security in a locked-down U.S. capital.

The warning from DHS said there was no information on a specific credible plot but the heightened threat across the United States was likely to persist for weeks.

Apart from the 2020 election outcome, the advisory also said so-called domestic violent extremists were motivated by issues including anger over COVID-19 restrictions, police use of force and "long-standing racial and ethnic tension—including opposition to immigration" as drivers of potential domestic attacks.