FBI director describes domestic extremists in homeland threats hearing

Antifa is more of an ideology than an organization, and QAnon is ‘more of a complex set of conspiracy theories,’ Wray says

The House Homeland Security Committee’s annual hearing on “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland” had a domestic focus Thursday, with member questions to FBI Director Christopher Wray directed at the security of the November election and the U.S.-based groups associated with riots and other violence that began this year.

Lawmakers anchored much of the three-hour discussion on topics such as Antifa, QAnon and Boogaloos, which have become major social issues in the presidential race. Protests and counter-protests over the last several months have been blamed for clashes in the streets that have led to multiple deaths, destroyed buildings and instances of violence against law enforcement.

Wray repeatedly said that there is no mechanism under U.S. law for the FBI to label domestic organizations as terrorist groups, and he said the FBI is focused on the violence any group might do, not their ideology. Continue reading.