Trump Just Handed White Supremacists the Keys to Counterterrorism

The people who should be investigated are now running the investigations.

The nomination of Joe Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a flashing red siren. This isn’t just a questionable pick—it’s an outright invitation for white nationalist extremism to thrive under federal protection. And not even Congress can stop it because he doesn’t need to be confirmed.

Kent, a man who has rubbed elbows with white supremacists, pushed conspiracy theories, and openly called for dismantling federal law enforcement, is now set to oversee America’s counterterrorism efforts. The message from the Trump administration is deafening. They are not interested in stopping far-right terrorism. They are protecting it.

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Let’s cut through the noise. Who actually commits terrorism in America?

According to DHS's 2020 Homeland Threat Assessment, white supremacist extremists are "the most persistent and lethal" domestic threat in the U.S. The FBI has confirmed that white supremacists and other far-right extremists are responsible for the majority of domestic terrorist attacks in recent years.

Independent research backs this up. A 2023 study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that far-right extremists carried out 75% of fatal domestic terrorist attacks since 1994. In contrast, far-left attacks—including the so-called "antifa terrorism" myth—accounted for less than 5%.

And yet, Trump and his allies have spent years gaslighting the public with a manufactured panic about "left-wing terrorism." Here's the truth: there are zero documented murders linked to "antifa" in the past two decades. Meanwhile, far-right terrorists have carried out mass shootings, bombings, assassinations, and even an attempted coup on January 6.

Kent is not just complicit in spreading these lies—he is a direct product of them. He has appeared on platforms hosted by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, has defended Proud Boys and other violent far-right groups, and hired known extremists for his political campaign.

If this man is overseeing counterterrorism intelligence, what happens to investigations into white supremacist violence? What happens when groups like Atomwaffen, Patriot Front, and The Base—organizations that have actively planned terror attacks—go under the radar because the man in charge sympathizes with their ideology?

Trump has already gutted federal efforts to fight white nationalism before. During his first term, his administration shut down counterterrorism grants targeting far-right extremism, ignored FBI warnings about white nationalist terror, and encouraged violence against political opponents. Kent’s nomination isn’t an accident. It’s an extension of that strategy.

This is not just a personnel decision. This is a declaration. Trump’s administration is signaling that white nationalist terrorism is no longer a concern but a tool. If the past is any indication, this decision will get people killed.

This is what happens when you let extremists run the government.

Bibliography & Sources

1. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 2020 Threat Assessment –

   • https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2020_10_06_homeland-threat-assessment.pdf

2. FBI Director Christopher Wray Testimony (2021) –

   • https://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/worldwide-threats-to-the-homeland

3. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) 2023 Report –

   • https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-terrorism-problem-united-states

4. CNN Report on Joe Kent’s White Nationalist Ties (2022) –

   • https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/30/politics/kfile-joe-kent-ties-to-white-nationalists-nazi-sympathizer/index.html

5. Associated Press (AP) Report on Kent’s Extremist Campaign Ties (2022) –

   • https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31

6. The Atlantic: Trump’s History of Ignoring White Nationalist Terror (2020) –

   • https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/white-supremacist-terrorism-rising-trump-doing-nothing/616872/