Which US right-wing extremist groups have been involved in violent attacks since 2020?

Checked on September 26, 2025
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1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal a complex and evolving landscape of domestic extremist violence in the United States, with significant shifts occurring in 2025. Right-wing extremist violence has historically dominated domestic terrorism, with sources indicating that right-wing attacks accounted for approximately 75% to 80% of domestic terrorism deaths since 2001 [1]. This pattern included notable incidents such as the 2015 Charleston church shooting and the 2019 El Paso Walmart massacre [1].

However, 2025 marked a dramatic reversal of this trend. For the first time in over 30 years, left-wing terrorist attacks have outnumbered right-wing attacks [2] [3] [4]. The data shows that five left-wing attacks or plots occurred in the first half of 2025, while right-wing terror attacks "plunged dramatically" during the same period [4]. This shift represents a significant departure from three decades of right-wing dominance in domestic terrorism statistics.

Despite this numerical shift, the lethality patterns remain distinct. Left-wing attacks continue to have very low fatality rates, with only two deaths resulting from left-wing terrorist attacks in the US since 2020 [2]. The analyses suggest a potential correlation between the decline in right-wing incidents and President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory [4], while noting that left-wing violence has generally increased over the past decade, particularly since Trump's rise to political prominence [4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question specifically asks about right-wing extremist groups involved in violent attacks since 2020, but the analyses provide limited specific group identification. Only the Proud Boys are mentioned by name as part of the far-right violence trend [5], representing a significant gap in addressing the question's specificity.

The analyses present conflicting temporal perspectives that highlight the importance of timing in terrorism statistics. While historical data strongly supports right-wing dominance in domestic terrorism [1], the 2025 data presents a completely different picture [2] [3] [4]. This contradiction underscores how terrorism trends can shift rapidly based on political and social circumstances.

Law enforcement perspectives are notably underrepresented in the comprehensive analysis. While one source mentions that far-right violence is "law enforcement's top domestic terrorism concern" [5], there's limited official government assessment of specific groups or their activities. The Department of Homeland Security source focuses on Antifa-aligned violence rather than right-wing groups [6], and the FBI source provides general terrorism investigation approaches without specific group identification [7].

The analyses also lack discussion of potential motivating factors behind the 2025 shift, beyond the brief mention of Trump's election victory. This omission leaves questions about whether the change represents a temporary political response or a more fundamental realignment of extremist violence patterns.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain explicit misinformation, but it may inadvertently promote a temporal bias by focusing exclusively on right-wing groups since 2020. Given that 2025 data shows left-wing attacks now outnumber right-wing attacks for the first time in 30 years [2] [3], the question's framing might perpetuate an outdated understanding of the current threat landscape.

The question's timing is particularly significant because it was asked in September 2025, when the most recent data shows a dramatic reversal in extremist violence patterns. Someone asking this question might be operating on historical assumptions that no longer reflect current realities [4].

There's also potential selection bias in focusing solely on right-wing groups while ignoring the documented rise in left-wing violence. The analyses show that while right-wing violence has historically been more lethal, the current trend shows left-wing attacks increasing significantly [4]. This selective focus could contribute to an incomplete understanding of the contemporary domestic terrorism threat environment.

The question's framing might also inadvertently minimize the complexity of domestic terrorism, which the analyses show involves multiple ideological motivations and varies significantly over time based on political circumstances and leadership changes.

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