American Zealots : Inside Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism

FEATURING ARIE PERLINGER – Rightwing extremists in the United States have always wrought hatred and violence but rarely been targeted by government surveillance or the disproportionate media coverage reserved for terrorists of the non-white, non-Christian persuasion.

But during Donald Trump’s presidency the resurgence of armed rightwing violence and extremism is fueling fears of a civil war. Tracing the historical roots of the myriad movements that have terrorized Americans and analyzing their tactics in a new book is my guest Arie Perliger.

Arie Perliger is professor and director of the graduate program in security studies at the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. His many publications on political violence include Jewish Terrorism in Israel. His latest book is called American Zealots: Inside Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism.

** This segment originally aired on September 11, 2020.