DHS concerned about violence tied to Trump reinstatement conspiracy theory

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday sent a notice to local and state authorities regarding recent online activity calling for violence in relation to several 2020 election conspiracies.

“[D]HS is providing awareness of reports regarding an increasing but modest level of activity online calling for violence in response to unsubstantiated claims of fraud related to the 2020 election and the alleged ‘reinstatement’ of former President Trump,” the notice said, according to CNN, which cited a source. 

“As public visibility of the narratives increases, we are concerned about more calls to violence. Reporting indicates that the timing of these activities may occur during August 2021, although we lack information on specific plots or planned actions,” the notice added, according to CNN.

The news of the advisory was first reported by ABC News.

Though DHS said it did not have any reports of specific threats, Trump and others have pushed unsubstantiated claims that widespread voter fraud happened during the 2020 election.

The conspiracy theories ultimately fueled the Jan. 6 attack where Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt Congress from certifying President Biden’s win in the 2020 election.

In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for DHS said that the department often shares information to local and state authorities with regards to “the heightened threat environment.”

“The Department of Homeland Security regularly shares information regarding the heightened threat environment with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial officials to ensure the safety and security of all communities across the country,” the spokesperson said.