FBI Official Sparks Tension as He Confirms Domestic Terror Categories Are Being Rewritten
The FBI’s approach to domestic extremism came under new scrutiny Thursday after a pointed exchange on Capitol Hill confirmed the bureau is reworking how it categorizes homegrown threats. The moment centered on whether the Proud Boys remain on the FBI’s radar—and why the agency won’t publicly define their status.
Rep. James Walkinshaw pressed FBI official Michael Glasheen during a House Homeland Security hearing, asking whether the group is still treated as an extremist organization. The question invoked earlier federal assessments that tied the Proud Boys to political violence, raising the stakes of how the bureau now frames domestic threats.
According to The Washington Post, Glasheen responded that the FBI is “in the process right now of changing our categories for domestic terrorism,” stopping short of labeling the group directly. He later added that the FBI “doesn’t designate domestic terror groups,” a clarification rooted in federal law that limits formal designations to foreign organizations.
That distinction complicates public expectations. The Proud Boys have long been cited by researchers as a far-right extremist group, yet federal law provides no mechanism to formally classify any domestic organization in the same manner used for foreign terror entities.
“We don’t have a domestic designation system,” Glasheen said, underscoring the gap between public perception and federal process.
The exchange matters because any shift in how the FBI structures its categories could influence how threats are tracked, resourced, and communicated to the public. Lawmakers from both parties have signaled they want clarity on whether ongoing changes will increase transparency or create new blind spots.
Glasheen indicated more information will come once the internal review is complete, setting up further oversight hearings in the months ahead.
For now, the status question remains open as the FBI recalibrates its framework.
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