Militarized Police Presence Widens Across U.S. Public Events Since 9/11

Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the United States has experienced a significant increase in police militarization and surveillance, which has become a normalized presence at public events across the country. Many Americans are conflicted about the trade-off between constitutional freedoms and security measures implemented post-9/11, as these security practices have intensified over the years. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has touted drastic reductions in crime rates in Washington, D.C., following his deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops, but he has controversially minimized domestic violence by calling it a "lesser" crime, eliciting criticism for downplaying the risks women face at home. Concurrently, the U.S. government is dismantling counterterrorism efforts focused on far-right extremism, with officials who worked on these programs being dismissed amid a rise in far-right violence domestically and globally. This surge in far-right extremism includes deadly attacks inspired by white supremacist ideologies and global networking through encrypted platforms, posing a critical and growing threat to democratic institutions. These developments collectively highlight ongoing tensions in American society between security, civil liberties, and the political handling of violence and extremism.