America's greatest domestic terror threat stems from racially and ethnically motivated extremists, following a record high in hate-motivated attacks and the rise of neo-Nazi and white supremacist violence now formally recognised by the FBI as significant a threat to the US as terror groups abroad.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the threat of far-right domestic violent extremism has risen to a "national threat priority" for 2020, posing a "steady threat of violence and economic harm" to the US while its underlying drivers — including "perceptions of government or law enforcement overreach, socio-political conditions, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and reactions to legislative actions" — persist.

Mr Wray said the FBI is "most concerned about lone offender attacks", which have "served as the dominant lethal mode" for domestic terror incidents.

In 2019, the FBI made 107 domestic terrorism arrests, on pace with the number of arrests it made for international terrorism. Racism and hate-driven ideologies were the driving forces behind most of the ideologically motivated killings and violence in the US in 2018 and 2019, and were the most lethal of all domestic extremism movements over the last 20 years.

He said: "The spate of attacks we saw in 2019 underscore the continued threat posed by domestic violent extremists and perpetrators of hate crimes. Such crimes are not limited to the United States and, with the aid of Internet like-minded hate groups, can reach across borders."

The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Show all 23 1 /23 The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, burn a swastika and cross during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, U.S on March 9, 2019 Reuters The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network hold up balloons decorated as the face of Adolf Hitler and give a white-power hand signal as they celebrate the German fascist's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Billy Roper of the ShieldWall Network attends a party at a home outside Atkins. The group primarily operates in Arkansas and includes three other members who were recently charged with assault in connection with the beating of a gay man, according to police reports REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network march to a rally opposing legal abortion and supporting gun rights at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Jeff Schoep, former chairman of the National Socialist Movement, speaks during a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 10, 2018 Reuters The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Crosses lit by members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan burn outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017. The Loyal White Knights is one of the largest Klan groups in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremist groups REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan prepare for a cross-burning outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network perform a Nazi salute as a swastika and cross burn during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, March 9, 2019 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US High chairs are seen in a building owned by The Knights Party, a white nationalist group formerly named the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, outside Harrison, Arkansas, March 10, 2019. The organisation is opening an education center for the children of white nationalists REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan addresses an audience before a cross-burning outside Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A figurine of a black man being lynched inside the home of Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, holds up a photo montage of (clockwise from top left) Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, Adolf Hitler, founder of the American Nazi Party George Lincoln Rockwell, Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof and Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess, while attending a party at a home outside Atkins REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Symbols of white nationalism are displayed on the jacket of a member of the National Socialist Movement as they gather in a parking lot before attending a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network prepare a swastika for burning to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A new member of the ShieldWall Network, Nicholas Holloway, and other members of the white nationalist group go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Courtney Calfy, wife of Julian Calfy, helps to prepare a meal as members of the ShieldWall Network gather to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, on the phone during a celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A plaque on top of a flagpole with the number 1488 is carried by members of the National Socialist Movement as they attend a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 10, 2018 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network John Carollo, Julian Calfy and Nicholas Holloway gather at a member's home before departing to disrupt a Jewish Holocaust memorial event in Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network burn a swastika to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is seen inside what the group calls its church, next to his home in Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, prepare to burn a swastika and cross during a party at a home outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS

In response, the FBI announced the launch of a Domestic Terrorism-Hate Crimes Fusion Cell in 2019, which allows the organisation to allocate as much resources to combat domestic terrorism as it does to combat other terror-linked groups.

The FBI now appears to treat white supremacist violence and domestic extremists motivated by foreign terror groups like Isis and al-Qaeda as similarly organised threats — both use the Internet to radicalise and turn to "soft targets" in public areas, from stores to places of worship, to commit violence.

He said: "Regardless of the specific ideology involved, the FBI requires that all domestic terrorism investigations be predicated based on activity intended to further a political or social goal, wholly or in part involving force, coercion, or violence, in violation of federal law."

The FBI's latest directive follows the Department of Homeland Security's recent counterterrorism efforts that recognised white nationalism as a significant domestic threat.

In early 2019, then-DHS chief Kirstjen Nielsen insisted that Islamist militants such as al-Qaeda and Isis remained the country's "primary terrorist threat".

Donald Trump denies white nationalism is a 'rising threat' after Christchurch mosque attack