Tragically, the nation is once again grappling with the senseless loss of young lives. The Oregon school shooting by a 16-year-old killing three children and a teacher, and the disruption of a neo-Nazi mass shooting plot by a teenager targeting a Hindu temple in the Chicago area underscore the urgent threat of violence facing communities across the United States. While investigators have not established a motive for the Oregon attack, the Chicago-area plot highlights the persistent danger posed by white supremacists and far-right extremism.
These incidents come as the Trump administration has dismantled critical domestic counterterrorism capabilities, weakening the government’s ability to identify threats, investigate extremist networks, and prevent violence before it occurs.
“The United States cannot confront escalating threats of violence while dismantling the very institutions designed to prevent them. Weakening domestic counterterrorism capabilities leaves communities vulnerable and undermines efforts to identify and disrupt threats before they turn deadly,” said Wendy Via, co-founder of GPAHE.
Throughout 2026, GPAHE’s research has documented how places of worship are increasingly targeted by far-right extremists, while online hatred against the Asian community is surging. These threats reflect a broader rise in far-right extremism against vulnerable communities that spreads through online platforms with consequences in the real world. The Trump administration has further fueled this climate through rhetoric and policies that put vulnerable communities in danger.
Dismantling these safeguards while far-right violence continues to escalate leaves law enforcement less equipped to intervene before attacks occur. The administration must prioritize evidence-based counterterrorism measures and confront the threat of far-right extremism. Instead, it has decimated the infrastructure needed to address it, and ignored the threat from the far right in its counterterrorism strategies.
