Federal law enforcement immediately shifted their focus to the investigation of the incident’s circumstances as soon as it became clear that former president Donald Trump was safe and that the individual accused of shooting him had died.
Being the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security during President Joe Biden’s administration, John Cohen is familiar with the details of what that would involve.
Cohen added that his previous agency is probably working closely with the FBI and Secret Service, and that they receive intelligence from him regarding domestic violent radicals in order to prevent new attacks.
From 2013 to 2023, domestic terrorist investigations increased by over 350 percent, indicating a dramatic surge in violent extremism within the US.
Despite the fact that the exact reason behind the Trump assassination attempt is still unknown, Cohen has admitted that the alleged gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, shares characteristics with numerous previous domestic violent extremists.
“These individuals are definitely being monitored,” he stated. “Federal authorities are frequently staring at the wrong radar screen,” the author explains.
What did you find most surprising about the shooting and its aftermath, given your experience working on domestic violent extremism issues at the highest level of government?
Its occurrence didn’t shock me. Also, my second thought was that if things continue as they are, worse things are on the horizon. Over the last year, I’ve collaborated with election officials and law enforcement at the state and local levels to make sure that communities are better equipped to handle threats to the election. What I’ve told sheriffs, chiefs of police, and election officials around the nation is true: we’re living in the most severe threat environment in forty years.
If these individuals don’t participate in online activities, how can the government possibly keep tabs on them? Could such an attack be prevented?
This is a common narrative following attacks like this, but in my experience over the last five or six years, it has rarely been the case. Not that these individuals aren’t being monitored. The problem is that the federal government frequently uses the wrong radar screen.
This person’s actions are reminiscent of individuals who have committed targeted acts of violence in the past, as we have learned today. He seems to have been disillusioned, to have felt alienated from his fellow citizens. He endured bullying. A big amount of ammunition was what he bought.
Separate lunches do not necessarily indicate a potential mass murderer. But what we do know is that the perpetrators of targeted violence or mass casualty attacks are frequently individuals who feel society has harmed them.
During your time in office, would you have foreseen the possibility of an attempt on the life of a presidential candidate? Have any of these analyses been conducted?
Tragically, a gunshot occurred. It was terrifying, but not unexpected. The media and internet ecosystem is rife with conspiracy theories and other content that is intentionally placed there by foreign intelligence services, terrorist groups, violent extremists, criminal organizations, and others, and it has been fueling the high levels of violence and other illegal and destructive activities that we have been experiencing for a number of years.
For the past twelve months, I have been briefing election authorities and law enforcement. We have obviously brought up the danger of targeted attacks on candidates.
Many domestic violent extremists, like the Trump rally shooter, appear to be young white males with similar features. For what reason?
These are the people who carry out the assaults throughout the past decade, either on their own or with no support from terrorist or extremist groups. They are very active on the internet. Typically, they are male. Most of them are white. A combination of intellectual convictions and personal grudges is what they usually embrace. Their capacity to form and maintain relationships with others is challenged. They frequently display traits indicative of sexism or hostility toward females.
Exactly what is the police department doing to look into this attack at this very moment? On the job at the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Office, what would you have been responsible for?
Our future actions will be shaped by the convergence of two parallel streams of activity. The primary concern of the investigators is gathering comprehensive details regarding the attack. The individual’s behavior will be observed. Their goal is to ascertain their driving force. There will be an effort to ascertain if the person acted alone or in collaboration with others.
Because of the importance of these details in informing future security measures and operational planning adjustments, they will do their best to get a firm grasp on them. This incident and the response to it will be the focus of their second investigation. To determine if the security bubble was enough, they will examine the operational posture, often known as physical security, at the event.
In what ways could you work with the FBI to carry out the investigation?
If DHS I&A is serious about providing intelligence support, it should be assessing both local and international intelligence in search of any dangers related to this incident. In order to ensure that individuals with operational responsibility for threat mitigation receive any information pertaining to threats, they collaborate closely with the Secret Service, the FBI, and the intelligence community.
How can we protect our nation’s citizens from violent extremism within?
Authorities at the federal, state, and local levels must improve their threat assessment, intelligence gathering, and information sharing capabilities in order to combat new and emerging threats.
Both the DHS and the FBI are fantastic agencies. Their daily work contributes to the safety of our nation in many ways. The burden of safeguarding our communities, our elections, and our candidates for public office ultimately rests on state, county, and municipal authorities in light of the present threat landscape.