Jon Lewis
Jon Lewis is a Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, where he studies domestic violent extremism and homegrown violent extremism, with a specialization in the evolution of white supremacist and anti-government movements in the United States and federal responses to the threat. He is also an Investigator with the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE), a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence.
His research and insights have been featured in numerous academic and popular publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, AP News, CNN, LA Times, Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, TIME, The Guardian, USA Today, CTC Sentinel, Vice News, and Wired Magazine.
Before joining the Program on Extremism, he worked as a research assistant at the International Institute for Counterterrorism (ICT) and the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC). Jon Lewis holds a Masters in Homeland Security Policy from Rider University.
Publications
"Opinion: This is the verdict the Proud Boys fear most" CNN, May 6, 2023.
"The Lineage of Violence: Saints Culture and Militant Accelerationist Terrorism." Global Network on Extremism and Technology, April 27, 2023.
"The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Are Domestic Terrorists, It’s Past Time to Call Them What They Are" Just Security, March 7, 2023.
"January 6th Report Summarizes Extremist Threat – But Leaves Key Gaps." Just Security, January 3, 2023.
"What's Different About DOJ's Prosecution of the Oath Keepers." Newsweek, December 19, 2022.
"The dangerous evolution of the Oath Keepers — and leader Stewart Rhodes," NBC News, July 14, 2022.
"True Threat of the Proud Boys Revealed as Jan. 6 Committee Hearings Go Public." Newsweek, June 9, 2022.
"Understanding Accelerationist Narratives: The Great Replacement Theory." Global Network on Extremism and Technology, May 30, 2022.
"Buffalo suspect exposes dangers of accelerationist, neo-fascist lone-actor violence," NBC News, May 22, 2022.
"Be Careful Attributing Anything to AWD" Accelerationism Research Consortium, February 21, 2022.
"What Does the Seditious Conspiracy Indictment Mean For the Oath Keepers?" Lawfare, January 21, 2022.
"Oath Keepers leader indictment just the tip of a scary iceberg," NBC News, January 17, 2022.
"Understanding Accelerationist Narratives: The Boogaloo." Global Network on Extremism and Technology, November 18, 2021.
“Take Nothing But Pictures, Leave Nothing But (Digital) Footprints”: Social Media Evidence From the US Capitol Siege Perpetrators," Global Network on Extremism and Technology, January 25, 2021.
"The Capitol mob’s gleeful selfies are easy to mock. They’re also a warning sign.," The Washington Post, January 19, 2021.
"3D-Printed Guns, Untraceable Firearms, and Domestic Violent Extremist Actors," Global Network on Extremism and Technology, January 7, 2021.
"Why the FBI had to pretend Hamas wanted to plot with ‘boogaloo boys'," The Washington Post, September 9, 2020.
"Balancing Online Content Moderation and the Rule of Law," Global Network on Extremism and Technology, September 4, 2020.
"Spring Provides Timely Reminder of Incel Violence—And Clarifies How to Respond," International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)- The Hague, August 28, 2020.
"Facebook's Disruption of the Boogaloo Network," Global Network on Extremism and Technology, August 3, 2020.
"Rethinking Domestic Terrorism Law After Boogaloo Movement Attacks," Lawfare, July 27, 2020.
"Now the State Department Should Designate the Russian Imperial Movement a Foreign Terrorist Organization," Lawfare, April 14, 2020.
"Our laws have a problem calling domestic terrorism what it is," The Hill, February 6, 2020.
"When Pain is Thicker Than Blood: Surviving Scourge and Purifying the Ranks," Foreign Policy Research Institute, September 26, 2019.
"How to act against domestic terrorists — and their foreign supporters," The Hill, September 15, 2019.
"It's Not Only Iraq and Syria," Lawfare, August 23, 2019.
Founding Fathers of the Modern American Neo-Nazi Movement: The Impacts and Legacies of Louis Beam, William Luther Pierce, and James Mason, Program on Extremism, June 1, 2023
Hezbollah's Operations and Networks in the United States: Two Decades in Review, Program on Extremism, June 30, 2022
"This is the Aftermath": Assessing DVE One Year After the Capitol Siege, Program on Extremism, January 6, 2022.
"The Oath Keepers Nexus to January 6," CTC Sentinel 14 (10), December 22, 2021.
"Pride & Prejudice: The Violent Evolution of the Proud Boys," CTC Sentinel 14 (6), July/August 2021.
The Founding Fathers of American Jihad: The Impacts and Legacies of Anwar al-Awlaki, Samir Khan, and Ahmad Abousamra, Program on Extremism, June 30, 2021.
"This is Our House!": A Preliminary Assessment of the Capitol Hill Siege Participants, Program on Extremism, March 2021
"The Evolution of the Boogaloo Movement," CTC Sentinel 14 (2), February 2021.
Dollars for Daesh Analyzing the Finances of American ISIS Supporters, Program on Extremism, September 29, 2020.
White Supremacist Terror: Modernizing Our Approach To Today's Threat, Program on Extremism, April 6, 2020.
"Dollars for Daesh: The Small Financial Footprint of the Islamic State’s American Supporters," CTC Sentinel 13 (3), March 2020.
Beyond the Caliphate: Islamic State Activity Outside the Group’s Defined Wilayat – Belgium, Combating Terrorism Center, February 22, 2018.
"Jan. 6 Sentencings: Total Prison Time for Oath Keepers Tops Half-Century" | The Wall Street Journal | 6/1/2023
"Jan. 6 Capitol riot's most serious offenders are sentenced. What that means for 2024" | USA Today | 6/1/2023
"Unbowed, Proud Boys are planning now for their biggest Pride Month disruptions ever, extremism watchdogs warn" | Business Insider | 5/20/2023
"Texas Mass Shooter Posted Neo-Nazi Content, FBI Document Reveals" | Rolling Stone | 5/8/2023
"Investigators examine ideology of Texas gunman" | ABC Australia | 5/8/2023
"Four Proud Boys Are Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy" | The Wall Street Journal | 5/4/2023
"Donald Trump central to Proud Boys trial as DOJ, defense attorneys blame him for Jan. 6 attack" | USA Today | 4/25/2023
"The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence" | Military.com | 4/5/2023
"Trump’s calls to protest fall on weary, wary ears." | The New York Times | 4/4/2023
"Antisemitic Incidents Increase in US" | CNN | 3/23/2023
"How extremists in NC and across US try to use national unease to grow and spread hate" | The Charlotte Observer | 3/19/2023
"The Boogaloo Bois Are Plotting a Bloody Comeback: ‘We Will Go to War’" | VICE News | 3/2/2023
"After Jan. 6 riot, hundreds of identifiable people remain free. FBI arrests could take years" | USA Today | 3/2/2023
"Jan. 6 defendant from North Fulton found guilty of two felonies" | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | 2/24/2023
"Proud Boys on trial for Jan. 6 riot want to subpoena Donald Trump to testify. Can they?" | USA Today | 2/17/2023
"Plots, attacks against power grids are increasing nationwide. How vulnerable is Texas?" | The Dallas Morning News | 2/9/2023
"What is Atomwaffen? The small neo-Nazi group uses violence to try and bring about societal collapse" | Insider | 2/6/2023
"‘Act of Terrorism’: Witnesses Recall Man Firing Blanks Inside SF Synagogue" | The San Francisco Standard | 2/6/2023
"Veteran Who Started Neo-Nazi Group Arrested Again, This Time for Targeting a Power Station" | Military.com | 2/6/2023
"The grid is under attack" | Insider | 2/6/2023
"SF Court Releases 911 Call and SFPD Bodycam Recordings of Paul Pelosi Attack" | KQED | 1/27/2023
"Paul Pelosi attack footage released — to the delight of voyeurs, extremists" | Mission Local | 1/27/2023
"Pelosi Attack Footage Unlikely To Hammer Conspiracy Theories, Experts Say" | The San Francisco Standard | 1/27/2023
"Proud Boys on trial for charges stemming from Jan. 6 Capitol riot. What we know." | USA Today | 1/9/2023
"Jan. 6 riot prosecutions: Three questions" | Christian Science Monitor| 1/6/2023
"Two Years After Capitol Attack, the Bay Area Remains Vulnerable to Right-Wing Extremism" | The San Francisco Standard | 1/6/2023
"As retired Bay area Green Beret continues fighting Jan. 6 charges, division worsens" | WFLA | 1/6/2023
"Proud Boys go to trial on sedition as Jan. 6 probe heats up" | AP News| 1/4/2023
"Whitmer kidnap plot ringleader sentenced to 16 years in prison" | Detroit News | 12/27/2022
"Rep. Zoe Lofgren crashed Proud Boy Enrique Tarrio's January 6 deposition to ask why he called her the C-word on Telegram" | Business Insider| 12/24/2022
"Domestic extremism often starts with online propaganda" | ABC Action News| 12/12/2022
"Alleged QAnon takeover plot in Germany" | CNN Situation Room| 12/8/2022
"Second Oath Keepers sedition trial presents new challenges for prosecutors" | CNN| 12/6/2022
"Trump Embraces Extremism as He Seeks to Reclaim Office" | The New York Times| 12/1/2022
"Convicted Oath Keeper Leader Preyed on Veterans Looking for Meaning After Service" | Military.com| 12/1/2022
"The Oath Keepers' Leader Was Just Convicted. The Far Right Will Keep Thriving" | TIME | 11/30/2022
"How The Far Right Is Escaping Biden's Attempted Crackdown On 'Ghost Guns'" | HuffPost| 11/30/2022
"Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes found guilty of seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack" | USA Today | 11/29/2022
"'Why distance yourself from the truth?': Oath Keepers' words used against them in government's closing remarks" | USA Today | 11/18/2022
"Santa Rosa man pleads guilty to misdemeanor for actions during Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol" | The Press Democrat | 11/18/2022
"Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes defends right-wing militia group in testimony" | USA Today| 11/4/2022
"Holocaust survivor urges people to 'take sides' against antisemitism" | Spectrum NY1 | 11/4/2022
"FBI terror team search leads to arrest of Boogaloo boy amid election fears" | Detroit News | 11/1/2022
"Federal charges filed against suspect in Paul Pelosi attack" | Spectrum NY1 | 10/31/2022
"3 men convicted of providing aid to terrorists in Whitmer kidnapping plot" | Detroit News | 10/26/2022
"Right-wing militia leaders, on trial for sedition, continue to threaten democracy" | Los Angeles Times | 10/10/2022
"Hundreds of Massachusetts residents joined the extremist Oath Keepers. Today, many are distancing themselves." | Boston Globe| 10/9/2022
"What we know about the Oath Keepers trial as opening remarks begin" | USA Today| 10/3/2022
"Historic trial for Oath Keepers leader and his top lieutenants over January 6 set to begin" | CNN| 9/27/2022
"January 6th Capitol riot: Who are the Oath Keepers and why are they on trial?" | BBC News | 9/27/2022
"Justice Department gears up for Oath Keepers’ seditious conspiracy trial" | Courthouse News Service | 9/23/2022
"Why Whitmer kidnap trial ended in convictions, but feds 'not out of the woods'" | Detroit News | 8/24/2022
"Two ringleaders convicted on Whitmer kidnapping conspiracy charges" | Detroit News | 8/23/2022
"FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search ignites the right" | Axios | 8/23/2022
"Dems press platforms to curb threats online" | CNN Situation Room | 8/20/2022
"Threats to FBI since Mar-a-Lago search" | CNN Situation Room | 8/18/2022
"Extremism expert: Anti-FBI rhetoric may trigger attacks" | News Nation | 8/15/2022
"Extremism researcher says death of gunman who tried to breach Ohio FBI office is 'a really good example' of how far-right conspiracies can get followers killed" | Business Insider | 8/14/2022
"Feds try to salvage Whitmer kidnap case as jury selection begins" | The Detroit News | 8/8/2022
"The Editorial Board: 'Take the blinders off' on the rising threat of domestic terrorism" | The Buffalo News | 8/8/2022
"On fringe social media sites, Buffalo mass shooting becomes rallying call for white supremacists" | The Buffalo News | 8/7/2022
"The Proud Boys' initiation creed Roger Stone recited has roots in white supremacy, according to experts" | Business Insider | 7/14/2022
"Jan. 6: Proud Boys, Oath Keepers" | CNN Situation Room | 7/12/2022
"Jan. 6 committee details extremist plot to overturn election" | National Journal | 7/12/2022
"The Jan. 6 committee will focus on extremist groups in its next hearing" | NPR | 7/11/2022
"Jan. 6's Tangled Web Of Extremism" | FiveThirtyEight | 7/11/2022
"5 bombshells we hope drop at Tuesday's Jan. 6 committee hearing on extremist groups and the 'mob on the Mall'" | Business Insider | 7/10/2022
"Patriot Front arrests in Idaho unmask a new generation of hate groups" | The Seattle Times | 6/19/2022
"Right-wing extremists amp up anti-LGBTQ rhetoric online" | AP News | 6/13/2022
"Patriot Front leader among those arrested near Idaho Pride" | AP News | 6/12/2022
"New Jan. 6 details may answer why so many Tampa Bay residents involved" | WFLA | 6/10/2022
"What to know about Thursday’s public hearing on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol" | Nevada Current | 6/8/2022
"Wyoming GOP chair was on restricted grounds during Jan. 6 riot, report says" | Casper Star Tribune | 5/31/2022
"The infinite loop of online extremism" | Protocol | 5/18/2022
"“I’m Only Shitposting IRL”: The All-Too-Familiar Online Ideology Of The Alleged Buffalo Shooter" | Buzzfeed News | 5/17/2022
"Weapon used in Saturday's attack bore white supremacist symbol, names of other gunmen" | The Buffalo News | 5/17/2022
"Racist screed in Buffalo shooting partly ‘plagiarized’ from Christchurch gunman, expert says" | KFOR | 5/17/2022
"'Elephant in the room': Police grapple with charges against officers in Jan. 6 Capitol attack" | USA Today | 5/3/2022
"How lagging prosecutions and long jail stays are fanning the flames of Jan. 6 extremism" | Business Insider | 3/30/2022
"Talking Chaos, or Plotting a Conspiracy? The Debate in the Whitmer Kidnapping Trial." | The New York Times | 3/13/2022
"A year after Jan. 6, attack on the U.S. Capitol lives on in hundreds of court cases" | Idaho Capital Sun | 3/8/2022
"What to know as Gov. Whitmer kidnapping conspiracy case heads to trial" | Detroit News | 3/7/2022
"From law enforcement to a sitting state senator, nearly 300 New Hampshire names appear in Oath Keepers database" | NPHR | 3/3/2022
"House committee hears testimony on far-right organization" | Juneau Empire | 2/10/2022
"Friendly, blue-collar neighbor or cop-attacking Capitol insurrectionist. Can this man be both?" | NJ.com | 2/1/2022
“Feds Are Blowing Their Chance to Seize Jan. 6 Rioters’ Guns” | Daily Beast | 1/25/2022
“Inside the Oath Keepers' Plan for an Armed Takeover of the US Capitol” | Military.com | 1/20/2022
“Sedition Indictments of Veterans Unlikely to Solve the Military's Extremism Problem” | Military.com| 1/14/2022
“Understanding Far-Right Paramilitary Group "The Oath Keepers" Role in Jan. 6” | NBC NOW Tonight | 1/11/2022
“To catch an insurrectionist” | Vox | 1/6/2022
“A year later, Florida still leads nation in Capitol riot arrests” | Tampa Bay Times | 1/6/2022
“Texas had the 2nd most arrests in the Capitol Insurrection. 1 year later, that still matters” | Texas Public Radio | 1/5/2022
“Remorse, Indignation From Those Sentenced in Capitol Attack” | VOA News | 1/5/2022
“One Michigan county has one of the largest clusters of accused in the Jan. 6 insurrection” | Detroit News | 1/5/2022
“One year and six arrests later, Bucks County is still debating its part in Jan. 6 insurrection” | WESA | 1/5/2022
“A year after Capitol riot, cases linger against some in Central Florida. So does extremism, experts say” | Orlando Sentinel | 1/3/2022
“Top Stories of 2021: How Pa. election misinformation helped inspire an insurrection, investigations and policies” | WITF | 12/30/2021
“The right side of history: Social media is clear that Capitol rioters thought they were on it” | Courthouse News Service | 11/12/2021
“Capitol Rioters in Jail’s ‘Patriot Wing’ Have Their Own Rituals and a Growing Fan Base” | Vice News | 10/21/2021
“First of Utah’s Capitol riot suspects expected to plead guilty” | Fox 13 | 10/13/2021
“Hacked Records Reveal Hundreds Of Oath Keepers Across New Jersey” | Gothamist | 10/13/2021
“First of Utah’s Capitol riot suspects expected to plead guilty” | Fox 13 | 9/22/2021
“Jailed Jan. 6 Rioters Are Getting Fan Mail From Trump Supporters” | Vice News | 9/17/2021
“Washington once more on alert ahead of rally celebrating Jan. 6 rioters” | Boston Globe | 9/17/2021
“Judge: Potential ‘Danger’ Means Central Pennsylvania Man Charged In Jan. 6 Attack Must Stay In Jail Before Trial” | WESA | 9/3/2021
“Whitmer kidnap case jurors to be quizzed on bombs, masks, guns and insurrection” | The Detroit News | 9/3/2021
“After nearly 600 arrests, FBI's investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege continues” | Spectrum News Orlando | 9/2/2021
“Judge: Potential ‘danger’ means Ephrata man charged in Jan. 6 attack must stay in jail before trial” | WITF | 9/2/2021
“Portland gunfight fuels alarm over growing use of weapons at rallies” | The Guardian | 8/26/2021
“Ad hoc extremist groups come into focus in post-January 6 criminal charges” | CNN | 7/21/2021
“‘Right-Wing Death Squad’: Active-Duty Marine Plotted to Bomb DNC, Murder Black People, Feds Say” | Daily Beast | 6/29/2021
“ISIS soldier to make unprecedented appearance to testify against Dearborn man” | The Detroit News | 6/27/2021
“Whitmer kidnap probe leads feds to explosives, arsenals” | The Detroit News | 3/30/2021
“Feds indict Whitmer kidnapping case informant as secret rift surfaces” | The Detroit News | 3/10/2021
“Michigan Capitol protest remains 'calm' on Sunday” | The Detroit News | 1/17/2021
“Self-Described Proud Boy in Queens Arrested for Allegedly Stockpiling Ammo and Weapons” | NY1 | 1/13/2021
“The FBI Says ‘Boogaloo’ Extremists Bought 3D-Printed Machine Gun Parts” | Wired Magazine | 11/6/2020
“‘Boogaloo’ extremists could seek violence post-election, experts warn” | Fox 46 | 10/26/2020
“Feds find bomb components in alleged Whitmer kidnapping plot” | The Detroit News | 10/26/2020
“White supremacist group talked about paramilitary training in secret vetting calls” | CNN | 10/22/2020
“What is the Boogaloo and why do they want to kidnap the governor?” | ABC7 | 10/9/2020
“Some of those charged in Whitmer plot attended Michigan Capitol rallies, witnesses say” | The Detroit News | 10/9/2020
“Extremism in America” | WGN9 | 10/9/2020
“FBI says it thwarted militia plot to kill Michigan Gov. Whitmer” | The Washington Times | 10/8/2020
“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s year: Nooses, beheadings, and shouts of tyranny” | Bridge Michigan | 10/8/2020
“Mysterious Wolverine Watchmen militia group 'flew under radar'” | The Detroit News | 10/8/2020
“Ruby Ridge echoes in deadly Madison Heights FBI shootout” | The Detroit News | 10/7/2020
“Teen accused in Zoom bomb threat at UH once radicalized in support of ISIS, sister says” | Houston Chronicle | 9/10/2020
“Take care of your own problem': Turkey returns ISIS fighters to Europe, US” | WJLA - Sinclair | 11/12/2019
“New Orleans court tackles ‘extravagant’ ruling in Houston ISIS case” | Houston Chronicle | 9/4/2019
“Appeals court to hear arguments about whether Houston federal judge committed ‘enormous’ error” | Houston Chronicle | 9/3/2019
“He lived in a wealthy N.J. suburb and played in a high school band. How did he end up accused of aiding terrorists?” | NJ.com | 5/26/2019
“UN Debuts Program to Stop Terrorist Travel” | Talk Media News | 5/8/2019
Statement for the record prepared for the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol: The Role of the Oath Keepers in the January 6 Insurrection, June 2022
Testimony before the Alaska House Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee: The Role of the Oath Keepers in the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, February 10, 2022