Research on Extremism Removed from US Justice Department Website

A study on domestic terrorism highlighting far-right extremist violence in the United States has been removed from the Department of Justice (DOJ) website, AFP confirmed on Tuesday.

The research, conducted by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), concluded that:

“Far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists” since 1990.

This finding contrasts sharply with statements from top Trump administration officials, who have emphasised the threat of left-wing extremism, particularly following last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The DOJ did not respond to requests for comment regarding why the paper, titled “What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism,” was taken down shortly after the September 10 shooting in Utah.

• Archived versions of the Office of Justice Programs website captured by the Wayback Machine show the article was still accessible on September 11, but it had disappeared by the following afternoon.
• AFP contacted one of the cited authors, who declined to comment on the removal.
• Other research detailing far-right extremism remains available on the DOJ website.

On Monday, the White House announced it would pursue an alleged left-wing “domestic terror movement” in response to Kirk’s killing. Critics have expressed concern that such a campaign could be used to suppress political dissent.

Key Points:

While federal law enforcement includes combating domestic terrorism within its remit, the United States does not maintain a list of designated “domestic terrorist organisations.”

The removal of this paper has sparked debate over the government’s emphasis on political threats and the transparency of federal research on domestic extremism.