Domestic Terrorism: Extremist Subcultures in America

Over the last several decades, conversations on political issues have become decidedly coarser and more personal. The proliferation of social media and other forms of digital communication make it easier to attack those with whom we disagree and lead not to the resolution of problems but divisions into camps.

Now, against the backdrop of one of the most divisive elections in a generation, the United States faces a global pandemic, economic destabilization, and civil unrest.

Not only do these factors undermine civil discourse and deliberative democracy, they also create favorable conditions for an increase in violent extremism across the political spectrum. To explore this rising tide of hate and help us understand how it spreads, the Eisenhower Institute hosted Daryl Johnson, author of Hateland: A Long, Hard Look at America’s Extremist Heart, for Gettysburg College's 2020 Constitution Day Lecture.

Daryl is one of the foremost experts on domestic extremist groups in the United States. Beginning his career as a civilian in the U.S. Army, Daryl has held a number of government positions, most recently as a senior analyst at the Department of Homeland Security. He works at a private consulting firm for law enforcement, DT Analytics, which he founded.

In 2020, Daryl was invited to serve as an Honorary Board member for We Are Many-United Against Hate in Madison, Wisconsin. He also accepted the position of Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Policy in Washington, D.C. In 2019, Daryl co-founded Jolly & Johnson Consulting to provide specialized training for BSA/AML professionals.