Far-right groups in the United States include white supremacist, neo-Nazi, ultranationalist, anti-government, and accelerationist organizations, ranging from longstanding outfits like the Ku Klux Klan to newer decentralized networks that organize through encrypted apps and fitness clubs. The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 1,263 hate and anti-government groups operating in 2025, and the FBI’s domestic terrorism caseload has grown by 357 percent since 2013.1U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO-25-107030 A 2025 Government Accountability Office report noted that the White House has identified domestic terrorism as the “most urgent terrorism threat facing the United States.”
The Major Groups Operating Today
The Counter Extremism Project counts at least 100 white nationalist groups and 99 neo-Nazi groups active in the United States.2Counter Extremism Project. Far-Right Extremist Groups A handful dominate the current landscape.
The Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers are the two best-known. Leaders of both were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, though their convictions have since been thrown into flux by presidential clemency.
Patriot Front, founded in 2017 by Thomas Rousseau after splintering from the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America, is a white nationalist organization that stages flash marches, distributes propaganda, and promotes the creation of a white ethnostate.3George Washington University Program on Extremism. Patriot Front
On the more extreme end, accelerationist groups advocate for societal collapse and race war. The Atomwaffen Division formally disbanded in July 2020 after a series of arrests between 2019 and 2020 “decimated” its active membership, but its ideology persists through the successor group National Socialist Order.4ADL. Atomwaffen Division / National Socialist Order The Base, a transnational neo-Nazi paramilitary group formed in 2018, promotes “leaderless resistance” through small autonomous cells and has been designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.5ICCT. Base and Basis: Listing Far-Right Terror Groups
The Terrorgram Collective, formed around 2019, is a newer breed of extremist network that operates primarily through Telegram channels. It grew over five years from a handful of accounts to a community involving hundreds of accounts and thousands of followers. A joint investigation by ProPublica and PBS Frontline linked 35 crimes to the network, including bomb plots, stabbings, and shootings.6PBS NewsHour. How the Telegram App Became a Hub for Hate Crime and Radical Extremists
The 764 network, designated as a terrorist entity by Canada in December 2025, sits at the intersection of violent extremism and child exploitation. The Justice Department describes 764 as a “nihilistic violent extremist” network that uses Telegram and Discord to groom and coerce minors into self-harm, sexual exploitation, and violence. The FBI has at least 350 open investigations tied to the network, and at least 30 individuals have been publicly charged.7ABC News. Online Extremist Network 764
The Active Club Movement
One of the fastest-growing segments of far-right extremism is the Active Club movement, conceptualized in 2020 by Robert Rundo, leader of the Rise Above Movement. Rundo called the approach “white nationalism 3.0,” using fitness, martial arts, and combat training as entry points for recruitment rather than overt ideological messaging. The clubs operate as small, autonomous cells with minimal central oversight, which makes them difficult for law enforcement to monitor.
The movement has expanded quickly. Active U.S. chapters grew from 49 in 2023 to 78 in 2025, operating across at least 25 states. Globally, 187 chapters exist across 27 countries, a 25 percent increase from late 2023. Members are primarily white men in their late teens and twenties, with estimated global core membership between 400 and 1,200 individuals. Individual chapters operate independently while maintaining ideological consistency through digital networks, and they share ties with accelerationist groups like Atomwaffen and Patriot Front.8U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Active Clubs and Transnational Far-Right Extremism
Rundo himself was sentenced to two years in federal prison in December 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Riot Act, following his extradition from Romania in 2023.9U.S. Department of Justice. Former Orange County Resident Linked to White Supremacy Group Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison
How Far-Right Groups Recruit Online
Far-right groups have built a cross-platform ecosystem for recruitment and radicalization. Telegram serves as the primary hub for organizing and distributing extremist content, while groups also use mainstream platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok alongside fringe alternatives like Gab, Rumble, Odysee, and BitChute.10ISD Global. Quantifying Extremism: A Data-Driven Analysis of UK Riot-Related Far-Right Telegram Networks Content flows between these spaces, which makes moderation by any single platform largely ineffective.
A 2026 study in Perspectives on Terrorism analyzed 125 Telegram channels featuring hate speech and violent extremist content and found that nearly 65 percent experienced growth over a single week. Of the channels studied, 47 were directly connected to well-known violent extremist movements or hate groups. Researchers found a greater presence of far-right than far-left activity and noted a migration of far-right users away from mainstream platforms over perceived censorship.11ICCT. U.S. Extremism on Telegram: Fueling Disinformation, Conspiracy Theories, and Accelerationism
Telegram’s historically limited moderation allowed networks like the Terrorgram Collective to thrive for years. The platform was used to disseminate bomb-making manuals, hit lists, and recruitment propaganda, often targeting young people. Telegram has recently increased moderation, but extremist actors frequently migrate to new or renamed channels when existing ones are removed. Newer tactics include AI voice cloning to amplify propaganda.2Counter Extremism Project. Far-Right Extremist Groups
Violence, Plots, and What’s Happened Recently
According to an ADL report published in February 2025, all 13 extremist-related murders in the United States in 2024 were attributed to right-wing extremists. It was the third consecutive year in which every identified extremist killing was connected to the far right. Eight of the 13 involved white supremacists and five involved anti-government extremists, including the murders of police officers in Florida and Texas.12ADL. ADL Data Shows Extremist-Related Murders Set to Increase in 2025
A September 2025 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies documented a significant decline in right-wing terrorism during the first half of 2025. From 2011 to 2024, the United States averaged 20 right-wing terror incidents per year, responsible for 112 fatalities. Through July 2025, only one right-wing terrorist incident was recorded: the politically motivated murder of Minnesota state legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in June 2025. Researchers suggested that some far-right extremists may feel less compelled to use violence because their concerns on immigration and diversity initiatives are being addressed by the current administration.13NBC News. Right-Wing Terror Attacks Plunged in 2025
That same CSIS report noted that for the first time in over 30 years, far-left attacks outpaced far-right violence in the first half of 2025, driven in part by the September 2025 assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk by Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old charged with aggravated murder in Utah where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.14The Guardian. Charlie Kirk Shooting Prosecutor In response, President Trump designated “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, though investigators found no evidence linking Robinson to any organized group.15Axios. Left-Wing Terrorism vs. Far-Right Violence
Attacks on the Power Grid
Electrical infrastructure has become a recurring target for accelerationists who view destabilizing critical systems as a way to hasten societal collapse. Atomwaffen founder Brandon Russell was indicted in 2023 for conspiring with Sarah Beth Clendaniel to attack five substations in the Baltimore region, with projected monetary losses exceeding $75 million. Russell was convicted in February 2025 and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release.16George Washington University Program on Extremism. Atomwaffen Division Clendaniel was sentenced to 18 years in September 2024.17U.S. Department of Justice. White Supremacist Leader Found Guilty of Conspiring to Destroy Regional Power Grid
Skyler Robert Philippi, a 24-year-old from Tennessee, pleaded guilty in 2025 to planning an attack on a Nashville power substation using a drone equipped with explosive materials, motivated by accelerationist white supremacist ideology. He faces up to life in prison.18New York Times. Tennessee Energy Facility Destroy Guilty In 2022, Pacific Northwest utilities reported a surge of at least 15 substation attacks to the FBI within a six-month period, with the agency noting that white supremacist groups had been circulating online instructions for sabotaging electrical infrastructure.19KUOW. Tacoma Man Charged with Sabotaging Power Grid
Terrorgram and 764 Indictments
In September 2024, the Justice Department announced a 15-count indictment against Dallas Humber and Matthew Allison, identified as leaders of the Terrorgram Collective. Charges include conspiracy, soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, distributing bomb-making instructions, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 220 years in prison. Prosecutors allege the pair inspired or guided attacks including a shooting that killed two people outside an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia, a planned attack on energy facilities in New Jersey, and a stabbing near a mosque in Turkey.20U.S. Department of Justice. Leaders of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting Hate Crimes, Soliciting Murder In July 2025, a third member, Noah Lamb, was indicted on eight counts including soliciting the murder of three federal officials, with prosecutors alleging he played a central role in creating assassination target lists that included a U.S. senator, a federal judge, and a former U.S. attorney.21New York Times. White Supremacist Charged in Assassination Plot
In April 2025, two alleged 764 leaders, Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal, were arrested and charged with operating an international child exploitation enterprise, facing a maximum penalty of life in prison.22U.S. Department of Justice. Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged with Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise Network founder Bradley Cadenhead is serving an 80-year prison sentence in Texas for child pornography crimes. In December 2025, Alexis Aldair Chavez, a 19-year-old administrator of the related “8884” subgroup, pleaded guilty to racketeering and child pornography charges.23U.S. Department of Justice. 764 Extremist Group Leader Pleads Guilty to RICO, Child Exploitation Charges
January 6, the Pardons, and the Vacated Convictions
In separate trials, federal juries in Washington, D.C., convicted leaders of both the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years, at the time the longest sentence in any Capitol riot case, with the sentencing judge applying a terrorism enhancement.24PBS NewsHour. Oath Keepers Founder Sentenced to 18 Years for Seditious Conspiracy Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio was convicted following a four-month trial that concluded in May 2023, with the sentencing judge again applying a terrorism enhancement.25U.S. House Democrats Judiciary Committee. Ranking Member Raskin’s Statement on Trump DOJ’s Motion to Vacate Proud Boys and Oath Keepers January 6 Convictions
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a sweeping clemency order covering more than 1,500 January 6 defendants, pardoning some and commuting the sentences of others, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders. Rhodes and Tarrio were released from prison.26NBC DFW. Oath Keepers’ Stewart Rhodes Released from Prison After Trump Clemency Then in April 2026, the Justice Department filed a motion to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions entirely and dismiss the original indictments with prejudice, which would permanently prevent future prosecution. The motion, signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, stated that dismissal was in the “interests of justice.”27NPR. Justice Department Moves to Toss Seditious Conspiracy Convictions
The pardons have had notable consequences. A June 2026 report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington found that at least 40 pardoned January 6 defendants have since been rearrested, charged, or sentenced for other crimes, with at least 12 allegedly committing new offenses after receiving their pardons. Post-pardon charges across the group include child sex abuse, weapons possession, domestic violence, and threatening public officials.28Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. At Least 33 Pardoned Insurrectionists Face Other Criminal Charges Tarrio was himself arrested near the Capitol in February 2025 on a simple assault charge after allegedly striking a woman’s arm during a rally, though prosecutors later declined to pursue the case.29NBC Washington. DC Prosecutors Decline to Charge Ex-Proud Boys Leader After US Capitol Arrest
How U.S. Law Handles These Groups
The United States lacks a standalone federal statute criminalizing domestic terrorism, which distinguishes it from most Western allies. While 18 U.S.C. § 2331 defines domestic terrorism, the definition does not carry its own criminal penalties. There is also no formal domestic terrorist organization designation for U.S.-based groups.30The White House. Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence
Instead, prosecutors pursue far-right extremists under a patchwork of existing laws. Seditious conspiracy, used against the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Other frequently used statutes address assault on federal officers, conspiracy against civil rights, weapons and explosives offenses, arson, material support for terrorism, and RICO. A September 2025 presidential memorandum directed the Justice Department to prioritize prosecutions under these existing statutes and tasked the National Joint Terrorism Task Forces with coordinating a national disruption strategy. It also directed the Treasury Department to trace illicit funding streams and instructed the IRS to ensure that tax-exempt entities are not financing domestic terrorism.
The FBI and DHS draw a line between actionable extremism and protected speech, stating that “mere advocacy or activism for political or social positions or use of strong rhetoric does not constitute violent extremism and may be constitutionally protected.”1U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO-25-107030 Membership in a far-right group, standing alone, is not a federal crime.
How Other Countries Compare
Many U.S. allies take a different approach, formally proscribing far-right organizations. Canada has listed a dozen far-right entities as terrorist organizations under its Criminal Code, including the Proud Boys, Atomwaffen Division, The Base, the Three Percenters, Blood and Honour, Combat 18, the Terrorgram Collective, and the 764 network.31Public Safety Canada. Currently Listed Entities The United Kingdom has proscribed The Base, the Terrorgram Collective, the Russian Imperial Movement, and groups like National Action (through its aliases Scottish Dawn and NS131), with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years for involvement with a proscribed group.32UK Home Office. Proscribed Terrorist Groups or Organisations Australia has listed the National Socialist Order, Sonnenkrieg Division, Terrorgram, and The Base under its Criminal Code Act.33Australian Government. Listed Terrorist Organisations
In Europe, France has banned 15 far-right organizations since 2015, including Génération Identitaire, Bastion Social, and Blood and Honour Hexagone. Germany has banned 14 far-right groups in the same period. Researchers have observed a “Whack-A-Mole” pattern in which banned organizations frequently reconstitute under new names with largely the same membership.34University of Oslo Center for Research on Extremism. The Effects of Banning Far-Right Groups: Evidence from France German domestic intelligence identifies right-wing extremism as the country’s most active extremist threat, pointing to the 2019 assassination of politician Walter Lübcke, the 2019 Halle synagogue shooting, and the 2020 Hanau shooting that killed nine people with migrant backgrounds.35Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz. Right-Wing Extremism