A new report from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) details how the Trump administration has weaponized the nation’s counterterrorism infrastructure and left the country less prepared to respond to terrorist threats both domestic and foreign.
The Peters Report found that the current administration has systematically dismantled key elements of the post-9/11 counterterrorism infrastructure by diverting personnel and resources away from preventing terrorist attacks. Peters, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the findings indicate the administration has instead weaponized counterterrorism authorities for political purposes such as designating “antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, and enforcing the presidents’ immigration policies. These actions, Peters said, have left the country vulnerable to terrorist attack.
“In the almost 25 years since the September 11th attacks, Democrats and Republicans have worked together to build counterterrorism infrastructure that is capable of preventing another catastrophic attack on our homeland,” Peters said. “In less than two years, the Trump Administration has decimated it by firing tens of thousands of experienced personnel, weakening critical agencies, cutting security funding, and diverting resources that keep Americans safe. Our nation faces serious security threats from foreign and domestic actors, and the Trump Administration’s actions have increased the risk that threats will go undetected and made Americans more vulnerable to attacks.”
According to the report, the administration has cut 15,000 positions across the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, and 1,300 positions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These positions, some involved in preventing, countering and responding to terrorism, weakened or eliminated offices responsible for preventing terrorism and protecting American infrastructure. The report said the administration allowed nearly $1 billion in public safety and homeland security grants to be delayed or canceled, weakening the ability of state, local, Tribal, territorial, and private sector partners to protect their communities. In other moves, the administration reassigned law enforcement personnel away from counterterrorism and national security to support immigration enforcement.
The report raises concerns about the administration’s politicization of intelligence and counterterrorism efforts, including efforts to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization – a designation that does not by law exist – and to reallocate counterterrorism resources toward immigration rather than significant threats identified by national security professionals.
According to the report, the Administration’s actions run counter to the country’s needs as it faces a persistently elevated threat environment. National security experts warn of threats from domestic violent extremists, Iran and its proxies and other foreign terrorist organizations. The report notes that attacks targeting houses of worship, elected officials, and other vulnerable communities have continued across the country while federal resources dedicated to preventing terrorism have been reduced.
The report recommends an immediate halt to the politically motivated personnel actions, and the restoration of counterterrorism capabilities and the return of reassigned personnel to their primary missions as well as the release of required domestic terrorism reporting to Congress, and the distribution of homeland security grants without political interference.