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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and "enhancing security measures" to "ensure a safe and secure Independence Day across the nation," the department told Newsweek.
The statement comes after ABC News reported on bulletins outlining concerns of a lone wolf attack on July 4 celebrations, similar to the car-ramming attack that killed 14 people in New Orleans on January 1. Newsweek has not seen an original copy of the bulletins.
A spokesperson for DHS told Newsweek: "At this time, DHS is not aware of any specific, credible threats to Fourth of July celebrations."
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A spokesperson for the FBI told Newsweek: "The FBI always encourages members of the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement."
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Why It Matters
The U.S. has experienced several attacks by lone actors in 2025: the New Year's attack in New Orleans, the shooting of two Israeli Embassy officials in Washington, D.C., the firebombing of a march for Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado, and the killing of two Minnesota lawmakers and the shooting of two others.
Since President Donald Trump took office, he has removed funding and most personnel from the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), the group tasked with countering violent extremism, and hired a 22-year-old former Heritage Foundation intern with no known counterterrorism or national security experience to lead it. This has created concerns over the White House's preparedness to deal with violent extremism.
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What To Know
The bulletins obtained by ABC state: "We are concerned about the potential threat of copycat attacks inspired by the 2025 New Year's Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans and continued [foreign terrorist organizations] messaging calling for attacks against Western targets."
The bulletins come after DHS issued a warning on June 22 over Iranian threats to the U.S. following the U.S. bombing Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
According to the bulletins, U.S.-based extremists and lone actors represent the largest threat to crowds gathering for Independence Day celebrations over the weekend.
Authorities have said they are concerned about chemicals being used on crowds in an attack similar to the one in Boulder, where one person died and 13 were injured after a man threw Molotov cocktails into the crowd.
Since taking office, Trump has not only slashed the budget for CP3 but pivoted the nation's terrorism focus away from white supremacy and labelled drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, spoke with ProPublica regarding the changes at CP3, saying: "The notion that this single office is responsible for preventing terrorism is not only incorrect, it's ignorant."
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What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for DHS told Newsweek: "The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure a safe and secure Independence Day across the nation. We are enhancing security measures and coordinating intelligence-sharing to proactively address potential risks, including those from lone wolf actors. At this time, DHS is not aware of any specific, credible threats to Fourth of July celebrations."
A spokesperson for the FBI told Newsweek: "While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve, as well as with our private sector partners for awareness. The FBI always encourages members of the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement."
What Happens Next
Officials in New York told ABC that they are concerned about lone attackers over the holiday weekend who are "motivated by a broad range of racial, ethnic, political, religious, anti-government, societal or personal grievances."
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