MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor – 2023: A Year In Review

2023 was an eventful year for white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and antigovernment extremists worldwide. The year saw rapid technological advances, global conflict, acts of mass violence, and more, with extremists seeing advances and defeats in almost equal measure. Some groups, including many of the groups that made up the broader accelerationist sphere, have been hit heavily with legal action, accusations of collusion with law enforcement, and even the deaths of prominent members and leaders, setting them back significantly.

Other groups have emerged and have made an impact for the first time, such as the numerous “Swatting” groups which have targeted synagogues, Black churches, and schools with hoax bomb threats.

Perhaps the biggest story of the year for extremists, and one which will likely continue to evolve, is the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence technology – that is, the creation of original content, automated chat responses, synthetic data, and deep fakes. Platforms like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Dall-E have added new strings to the bow of the broader neo-Nazi movement, particularly with regard to misinformation, propaganda, and memetics. Extremists have used these technologies to great effect, creating deepfake audio and video content, artificially generated images, and even fake texts.

As the technology evolves further, it seems likely that this trend will continue, with the potential for even more extreme consequences. These technologies can be used to create blueprints for weapons, harmful substances, or even computer viruses, and have the potential to become extremely destructive in the hands of extremists if left unchecked in 2024.

Over the course of the past year, one of the continuing stories has been the devolution of X, formerly known as Twitter, into a safe haven for extremist content online. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists, including some high-profile extremist figures have flocked back to the platform. Prominent extremist groups have also expanded their presence on the platform following its purchase by Elon Musk. In addition, dozens of accounts of members and supporters, including those of prominent leaders active on Twitter, have expanded their presence. Similarly global movements such as the white supremacist Identitarian Movement and White Lives Matter (WLM) movements have chapters with an active X presence.[i]

The latter half was defined primarily by the October 7 invasion of Israel by Hamas, and the conflict that followed. This was a major touchstone for neo-Nazis and white supremacists, many of whom sided with Hamas and expressed their support for the erasure of Israel. MEMRI DTTM reported consistently on this trend throughout the final months of 2023, highlighting how domestic extremists were positioning themselves in regard to the conflict.[ii]

The following report will highlight these stories and other major reports produced by the MEMRI DTTM project throughout the course of 2023, examining some of the key trends and developments in the field of neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and antigovernment extremism.

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January

During the month of January, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other extremists demonstrated greater coordination both domestically and globally, particularly through livestreams and podcasts. MEMRI DTTM also monitored continued anti-government discussions proliferating online.

Neo-Nazi and white supremacists were energized by the news in January that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, had successfully purchased social media company Twitter and would become its CEO. Musk had been outspoken in his support of relaxing Twitter's rules for content censorship. The announcement lead to celebration from members of the neo-Nazi and white supremacist community – many of whom have flocked to the social media platform following Musk’s acquisition.

MEMRI DTTM also highlighted multiple groups which espouse accelerationist and neo-Luddite views, an ideology opposed to modern technology. These ideologies actively call for attacks against major U.S. infrastructure to undermine U.S. government services. Many of these groups have flocked to social media platforms, such as Telegram, to discuss ideas and share manuals on how to prepare for and conduct attacks.

February

February saw increased activity from accelerationist, neo-luddite, and anti-government extremists. One Canada based Eco-accelerationist posted discussed attacks on critical infrastructure in Ontario.

MEMRI DTTM also published reports on a prominent neo-Nazi terror organization and their associated Telegram channels. The channels have posted images of members training with weapons, being instructed on training methods, and learning combat skills. Members have called for attacks against infrastructure and for violence against their opponents.

MEMRI DTTM also posted research on a group which identifies as National Socialist, Satanist, and Accelerationist, and operates a website on which it promotes its violent, misogynistic, and neo-Nazi worldview.

March

March proved to be a significant month for transnational cooperation between neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, particularly within Europe. Specifically, MEMRI DTTM reported on a Scandinavian neo-Nazi organization meeting in Madrid with a Spanish neo-Nazi group, as well as coordination among Bulgarian, Hungarian, Spanish, and French neo-Nazis at the Lukov March in Bulgaria.

Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other extremists were also energized in March by news that a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former U.S. President Donald Trump on 30 fraud-related counts in connection with his business dealings in New York state. The news led many extremists to call for civil war in the United States, asserting that the January 6th insurrection on the US Capitol Building was simply the beginning. Others viewed former President Trump as a martyr.

Accelerationist groups also highlighted different technologies, including AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, as methods to educate oneself on how to successfully launch and plan attacks on key infrastructure nodes in their respective countries.

April

April saw neo-luddites, accelerationists, and other extremists commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Waco massacre and the Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh. Telegram continues to be a primary forum for accelerationist and neo-Luddite groups to disseminate manuals and manifestos calling for terror attacks against critical infrastructure. April saw the first issue of a Ted Kaczynski-inspired magazine distributed. The publication describes vulnerabilities in the U.S. electrical grid.

April saw continued transnational coordination between neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and other extremist groups. Specifically, a U.S.-based fascist organization met with various neo-Nazi groups in Switzerland.

May

May saw increased activism from various neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and REMVE [Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist] groups, particularly in Florida. The group were perhaps reacting to the passage of Florida House Bill 269 which outlaws anyone from distributing or displaying any material on private property that is intended to intimidate religious groups, and that these violations be reported as hate crimes. Neo-Nazi and white supremacists in Florida responded to the passage of HB 269 by threatening Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aromberg. They were further energized and issued repeated calls for general violence following the arrest of a prominent neo-Nazi at the end of the month.

MEMRI DTTM also reported on the social media activity of Mauricio Garcia, who was responsible for the mass shooting in Allen, Texas on May 6th, which resulted in the death of nine people, including Garcia. Garcia's social media presence indicated neo-Nazi sympathies as well as possible sympathies for the incel movement, and displayed detailed posts on the location and layout of Allen Premium Outlets, where the shooting occurred.

June

June saw neo-Nazis and white supremacists angered by the 38-count indictment handed up against former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists responded by calling for acts of violence as well as for public hangings for those responsible for levying the indictment.

Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, accelerationists, and other REMVE extremists were also energized by the death of Ted Kaczynski, "The Unabomber," and called for his supporters to continue his legacy and learn from him. MEMRI DTTM reported on how his supporters utilized OpenAI's ChatGPT to provide detailed information on the materials and mechanisms used by Kaczynski in his attacks.

The trial of Robert Bowers continued to capture the attention of neo-Nazis and white supremacists during the month of June. They stated that Jews were unduly influencing the trial, pushing for the death penalty for Bowers. Supporters of Bowers openly called for acts of violence to be committed in response.

July

Gab’s CEO demonstrated that the platform will continue to be a safe haven for extremists and their ideologies. The CEO, who was approached by the U.S. Government Accountability Office for Gab to take part in a study on online extremism, promptly refused, and published the refusal and a subsequent "exclusive" article about it on Gab. Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other REMVE extremists praised him for his actions.

Neo-Nazis and white supremacists were also energized by the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the use of race-based questions in U.S. college admissions. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists claimed that the ruling, which was seen as a fatal blow to race-based affirmative action programs in the United States, was a "victory for the white race."

Finally, a Ted Kaczynski-inspired Telegram channel published calls to form militant cells to conduct attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States and to engage in technocide.

August

August saw Tree of Life Synagogue shooter Robert Bowers sentenced to death, which angered neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other REMVE extremists. They called for supporters of Bowers to target Holocaust museums with violence in reaction to the sentence. Furthermore, a Pittsburgh-based neo-Nazi and Bowers supporter was arrested on charges that included witness tampering in relation to his intimidation of witnesses and jurors involved in the Bowers case.

Gab’s CEO also mocked and denied requests from German authorities for information on German users who have violated German law, namely by promoting Holocaust denial and Nazi ideology online via Gab, in violation of German law. As a result, such content has been proliferating in Germany, which provides these German users a safe haven for extremist ideas.

Finally, globally neo-Nazis and white supremacists were energized by the recent riots occurring in France, calling for violence to be perpetrated against minority groups in their respective countries.

September

September saw neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and other extremist groups energized by the announcement by "X" CEO Elon Musk, who threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League for defamation of himself and his platform. The news led to the online hashtag campaign #BanTheADL, which featured heavy increases in antisemitic content on X as well as on other social media platforms.

During this time, Gab’s CEO spurned calls from European governments to comply with their censorship laws, saying he has created a safe haven for extremists online. He claims that he is upholding free speech, and continues to refuse to comply with the laws of non-U.S. governments.

MEMRI DTTM also reported on a swatting ring active on Telegram. "Swatting" is the practice of calling in fake bomb threats to emergency services in an effort to intimidate and threaten different establishments, and cause bomb squads to evacuate an area where a fake threat has been reported. Following reporting from MEMRI DTTM, the group's original Telegram channel was dismantled, and members were allegedly approached by the police. The group has since been inactive.

Finally, neo-Nazis and white supremacists were angered by the September 8th announcement by New Mexican governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who instituted a 30-day ban on open carry of weapons. This led extremists to call for her to be hanged, as well as to urge general violence towards her.

October

October was a major flashpoint for extremist movements globally, as Hamas conducted a surprise attack against Israel on October 7th, leading to the death of approximately 1,200 Israelis. The attack energized neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other REMVE extremists who praised the mass killing of Jews, expressing support for Hamas. Extremists also criticized Israel for the launch of its ground offensive into the Gaza Strip, claiming that the intent was to create a massive Palestinian immigration wave into Europe and the United States as part of the "Great Replacement" conspiracy.

Furthermore, MEMRI DTTM reported on the social media activity of the Rotterdam shooter, who killed three people in two separate shootings in September. Identified only as Fouad L., he was a student at Erasmus University medical school, who had been convicted of animal cruelty. The shooter displayed examples of Mixed, Unclear, and Unstable (MUU) extremist ideology that largely revolved around anger. The shooter also demonstrated symptoms of Ideological Nihilism.

November

November proved to be significant for extremist movements in shifting the Overton Window - the spectrum of political discourse in which ideas that were once considered to be the fringes of political discourse are openly discussed by the mainstream. Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter) seemed to endorse antisemitic conspiracy theories, including the great replacement theory, which brought these ideas further into the mainstream. Furthermore, neo-Nazi and white supremacist personalities sought to engage with less extreme forums in an effort to propagate their views.

International events, specifically riots in Dublin, Ireland, after the stabbing of two adults and three children by an Algerian migrant, the commemoration of Poland's independence, and most notably the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, energized neo-Nazis and white supremacists globally. November also saw increases in collaboration among domestic neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, as well as growing international networks for extremist groups with shared ideologies.

 

December

December saw the implicit endorsement of the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory by Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during a live televised primary debate for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Ramaswamy's comments energized neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other extremists who claimed Ramaswamy was standing up for white rights and felt he was causing a major shift of the Overton window.

Furthermore, news of the resignation of former University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill following her failure to classify calls by students for genocide of Jews as violence during a Congressional hearing led to strong reactions from neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other extremists. Extremists claimed that Magill was the only university president to be fired because she was white, while Harvard University President Claudine Gay, who was also present at the hearing and failed to publicly denounce student calls for genocide, was initially permitted to stay on as president of Harvard University. (After allegations of plagiarism were leveled at President Gay, she resigned.)

Finally, neo-Nazis and white supremacists were energized globally by the actions of far-right Polish lawmaker Grzegorz Braun of the Confederation Party who used a fire extinguisher to extinguish a menorah at a Chanukah ceremony in the Polish parliament as he asserted the ceremony was “satanic.” Extremists praised the actions of Braun and adopted the fire extinguisher as an antisemitic symbol. It has begun to surface in extremist online spaces.