Yesterday, during a Senate hearing, the DOJ grandly announced they’ve created a domestic terrorism unit. We have extremists in our midst you see, and they must be rooted out.

The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department’s top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an “elevated” threat from violent extremists in the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, said the number of FBI investigations into suspected domestic violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

“We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,” Olsen said.

Of course, the Democrats on the committee reacted by focusing 100% on the events of January 6. They just know that, all 700 of the folks arrested after that stupidity are domestic terrorists, even as they refuse to admit it. They just know that all 700 of those languishing in jail without being afforded their Constitutional right to due process, are the baddies. 

Yes, with the formation of this group, the focus will stay on the January 6 stupidity. They’ll certainly ignore questions related to Ray Epps. Why? Because the January 6 committee has spoken. “Nothing to see here, move along.” 

When even the NYT is saying this, there's only so long that these questions about the FBI can be avoided by the Congressional 1/6 Committee even though they obviously have zero interest in finding out any of this.https://t.co/X9MMQjQ9f5 pic.twitter.com/MzYxKrfopJ

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 11, 2022

The ongoing mystery of Ray Epps, who repeatedly appears in videos encouraging and inciting an invasion of the Capitol on 1/6 yet, for some reason, has not yet been indicted or charged, even as people with far less involvement have been: https://t.co/hzGZCo9MKe

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 26, 2021

Here’s the thing about all of this. The Democrats along with Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, have been insisting for a year now that January 6 was the absolute worst thing that happened in this country. When they are asked about anything that happened in 2020, they deflect and run for the hills. 

Let’s recap January 6 shall we?

• Did people go into the U.S. Capitol? Yes.
• Were some people who went in wearing face paint and weird costumes? Yes
• Was there any damage done to the priceless paintings and statues? No
• Did anyone set any fires or set off any incidienary devices? No
• Was anyone in that unruly crowd carrying guns? No
• Was any law enforcement officer, Congressional staffer, or member of Congress injured that day? No
• Was someone killed that day? Yes, Ashli Babbit. 
• How many people were arrested in the days/weeks/months after? 700

Now, let’s look at 2020. 

• Were any cars burned up? Yes, entire car lots
• Were any buildings burned? Yes, entire blocks of buildings
• Were any police precincts attacked and set on fire? Yes
• How many people were killed? Over 23 at last count
• Is there an on-going bail fund for rioters? Yes, and the current Vice President of the United States solicited donations for that fund. 

This is what a Biden Presidency will bring to your city.

Hats off to CNN for having the stamina to continue to carry water for democrats.

“Fiery but mostly peaceful protests” pic.twitter.com/hlnVX0dCZ9

— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) August 27, 2020

I could go on. Victor Davis Hanson makes some excellent points here:

We are in a dangerous revolutionary cycle. But the threat is not so much from loud, buffoonish one-day rioters on January 6. Such clownish characters did not for 120 days loot, burn, attack courthouses and police precincts, cause over 30 deaths, injure 2,000 policemen, and destroy at least $2 billion in property – all under the banner of revolutionary justice.

Even more ominously, stone-cold sober elites are systematically waging an insidious revolution in the shadows that seeks to dismantle America’s institutions and the rule of law as we have known them.

Also, here:

Those Americans who praised defunding the police and excused looting, arson, and violence are pondering whether it is better to renounce their idiocy, or to stay quiet and take one more carjacking, one more assault, or one more break-in—for the cause.

Meanwhile, as the DOJ puts a new domestic terrorism task force in place, we find out that the Dept of Education DID solicit that domestic terrorist parents letter. 

On Tuesday, Fox News revealed that “Education Secretary Miguel Cardona solicited the much-criticized letter from the National School Boards Association that compared protesting parents to domestic terrorists,” according to an email exchange it had reviewed.

Fox reported that “the email exchange indicates Cardona was more involved with the letter’s creation than previously known. President Biden’s Department of Justice relied on the NSBA letter, which suggested using the Patriot Act against parents, in creating its own memo directing the FBI to mobilize in support of local education officials.”

So, here we are. The Department of Justice has now formed a domestic terrorism unit. One that will have problems. One because this is a purely political move pandering to the progressives. Two, because there are statutory implications. 

The U.S. criminal code defines domestic terrorism as violence intended to coerce or intimidate a civilian population and to influence government policy, but there is no standalone domestic terrorism charge, meaning prosecutors have to rely on other statutes.

There’s a reason why NO ONE involved in the January 6 idiocy has been charged with domestic terrorism. Why? Because not a single one of their actions fit the actual criminal code. 

Needless to say, this type of political pandering is dangerous for us all. Especially when what is being put in place is ignoring all the riots and looting that took place in 2020, and are still happening at times in Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and elsewhere. 

Welcome Instapundit Readers!

Feature Photo Credit: Crowd on Jan 6 at US Capitol via Wikimedia Commons, cropped and modified