After hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol following his false claims about a stolen election, several extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have lost strength since then. Some extremists learned from the mistakes of those charged in the January 6 riot by revealing compromising information on social media before, during, and after the siege.
During the current election cycle, Trump and his allies have intensified their anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant rhetoric, which has served to energize extremists, according to experts. Many of the Capitol rioters have been portrayed as patriots by Trump and others, raising growing concerns about political violence ahead of the upcoming elections on November 5.
A significant number of these extremists were associated with groups like QAnon. Additionally, threats against election officials and the spread of far-right conspiracy theories have been observed on mainstream platforms with apparent lack of control. Trump's rallies have become venues for speeches loaded with racism and xenophobia.
Despite the convictions and imprisonments of leaders from groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, the fear of election-related violence persists among experts on extremism. Extremist movements have adopted more discreet online strategies and maintain the threat of disrupting the electoral process, even in the absence of some of their most prominent figures.
Experts warn about the possibility of these groups reorganizing and reemerging after the elections, which would complicate the prevention of violent threats. While for now many of these extremists do not seem focused on the current elections, the ongoing threat persists and could trigger violent events in the future.
