Federal security officials have been put on alert for the potential of retaliatory attacks against Democrats at the party's upcoming convention in Chicago after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, according to a threat assessment.
The assessment, prepared by agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI and local police in Illinois, outlined several security concerns surrounding the convention, as reported by CNN, which obtained the documentation.
"The FBI and DHS remain concerned about the potential for follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence following the 13 July 2024 assassination attempt on [Trump] particularly given that individuals in some online communities have threatened, encouraged, or referenced acts of violence in response to the attempted assassination," the assessment says.
The agencies have not identified any specific threats, the report added.
There have been several conspiracy theories about the attack on Trump on July 13 during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed shortly after firing shots toward Trump, with one hitting the former president in the upper right ear.
Public records showed that Crooks was a registered Republican but had made a small donation to a Democrat-related group while a teenager.
The assessment, meanwhile, includes several of the same concerns that were included in a joint federal law enforcement report issued before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which started two days after Trump was shot.
"The United States is in a heightened threat environment, and regularly updates law enforcement and other partners," DHS said in a statement to CNN. "There is no verified, specific reporting to indicate a threat to the Democratic National Convention at this time, but we note the risk that the event may be viewed as a target. We urge the public to stay vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activity to local law enforcement."
The Democrats' convention, which opens Aug. 19, will include speeches from many top party members, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's presidential nominee.
The FBI and DHS said that the most significant threat of terrorism for the convention would come from extremists, particularly "lone offenders, who engage in violence to advance a broad range of anti-government, political, racial, ethnic, religious, societal, or personal ideological beliefs and grievances."
However, outside groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida have been encouraging attacks against the West and have been using social media to inspire "attacks in the Homeland."
Tensions in the Middle East could also cause public safety concerns at the convention, particularly with the rise in pro-Palestinian protests.
Law enforcement officials, since the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war last October, have seen increases in threats against Jewish, Arab, and Muslim communities, that include physical assaults, bomb threats, and calls online for mass casualty attacks, the officials further said in the assessment.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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