Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a sweeping and unapologetically direct assessment of the threats facing the United States during her 2026 Annual Threat Assessment briefing.
While legacy terrorist organizations like ISIS and al-Qaeda have been weakened, the threat has evolved, not disappeared.
According to the intelligence assessment:
- “Lone wolf” attackers are now the top threat to the U.S. homeland
- Terror plots are increasingly decentralized and digitally inspired
- Islamist ideology continues spreading globally, including into Western nations
Gabbard warned that extremist networks are now focused on propaganda, recruitment, and remote radicalization, making detection more difficult than ever.