Fact check: Which ideology has been linked to more terrorist attacks in the US since 2015?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided suggest that right-wing extremism has been linked to a significant number of terrorist attacks in the US since 2015 ^[1]. According to one source, right-wing attacks and plots accounted for the majority of all terrorist incidents in the United States since 1994, and the total number of right-wing attacks and plots has grown substantially during the past six years ^[1]. Another source found that since 2020, right-wing terrorists account for 54 percent of the 81 people who have been killed as a result of political violence ^[2]. In contrast, left-wing extremism has been found to be less likely to result in violent acts ^[3]. However, it is essential to note that the sources do not provide a direct comparison of ideologies linked to terrorist attacks in the US since 2015 ^[4]. Some sources report a rise in domestic terrorism incidents, with 35% of incidents between 2010 and 2021 being racially or ethnically motivated ^[4], and a significant rise in attacks and plots against government targets motivated by partisan political beliefs ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• The sources provided do not offer a comprehensive comparison of the number of terrorist attacks linked to different ideologies in the US since 2015 ^[4].
• Some analyses suggest that the shift in ideologies and organization of anti-government terrorists may be a significant factor in the rise of domestic terrorism ^[5].
• The role of partisan political beliefs in motivating terrorist attacks is mentioned in some sources, but its connection to specific ideologies is not fully explored ^[5].
• The sources do not provide sufficient information on the methods used to track and classify terrorist incidents, which could impact the accuracy of the findings ^{[1] [3] [2]}.
• Alternative viewpoints, such as the potential for underreporting or misclassification of terrorist incidents, are not adequately addressed in the analyses ^{[6] [7] [8]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be influenced by a bias towards highlighting right-wing extremism as the primary ideology linked to terrorist attacks in the US since 2015 ^{[1] [2]}. This framing may benefit those who seek to emphasize the threat of right-wing extremism, such as researchers and policymakers focused on counter-terrorism ^{[1] [2]}. On the other hand, some sources may be downplaying the role of left-wing extremism in terrorist attacks, which could be seen as a form of bias or misinformation ^[3]. Additionally, the lack of direct comparison between ideologies in the sources may contribute to misinformation or confusion about the relative threat posed by different extremist groups ^[4]. It is essential to consider these potential biases and limitations when evaluating the claim about which ideology has been linked to more terrorist attacks in the US since 2015 ^{[1] [3] [2]}.