Quick Takes // By Ben FrankelNot Your Father’s Extremists

Published 19 February 2021

Two studies of the demographic characteristics of the rioters who stormed the Capitol on 6 January found a surprising, and disturbing, fact: The majority of those arrested for storming the Capitol were middle class, middle-aged, employed, earning more than the average household income, mostly college-educated, and had no ties with the extremist groups. One study says that the finding suggests that there is “a new kind of violent mass movement in which more ‘normal’ Trump supporters—middle-class and, in many cases, middle-aged people without obvious ties to the far right—joined with extremists in an attempt to overturn a presidential election.” The second study says its findings suggest the emergence of “a new breed of extremist, one foundationally animated by devotion to President Trump, placing him over party or country.”

Earlier this week we reported on a study by the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST) (see “The Capitol Rioters Aren’t Like Other Extremists,” HSNW, 15 February 2021), which closely examined the demographic, educational, and socio-economic profile of 193 of the more than 250 rioters who have so far been arrested by the police.

The University of Chicago researchers report that what they have found was much more disturbing than what they had anticipated: a close analysis of those arrested by the police “suggests a different and potentially far more dangerous problem: a new kind of violent mass movement in which more ‘normal’ Trump supporters—middle-class and, in many cases, middle-aged people without obvious ties to the far right—joined with extremists in an attempt to overturn a presidential election.”

The researchers add: “What’s clear is that the Capitol riot revealed a new force in American politics—not merely a mix of right-wing organizations, but a broader mass political movement that has violence at its core and draws strength even from places where Trump supporters are in the minority.”

A new report by the ADL’s Center on Extremism (COE) (see “Extremists Face Arrests, Uncertain Future Following 6 January Insurrection,” HSNW, 19 February 2021) confirms the findings of the CPOST study. COE examined the records of 212 of those arrested by the police for taking part in the 6 January riot, and found that only 25 percent of them have ties to known right-wing extremist groups such as Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, or Three Percenters. COE says that the remaining 75 percent, who had no ties to extremist groups, should be considered part of a new pro-Trump extremist movement, a decentralized but enthusiastic faction made up of self-described “patriots” who continue to pledge their fidelity to the former president:

“They are the product of weeks and months and years of incitement, lies and repeated (and repeatedly disproved) conspiracy theories,” COE writes. “They are a new breed of extremist, one foundationally animated by devotion to President Trump, placing him over party or country.”