Biden administration targeted mask and vaccine opponents as “terrorists,” new docs reveal
By willowt // 2025-05-29
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  • The Biden administration labeled opposition to vaccine mandates "Domestic Violent Extremism" via classified documents, recently declassified by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
  • Critics included parents, healthcare workers and individuals resisting mandates, with the DVE label enabling federal monitoring of dissent.
  • Agencies called for social media censorship of dissident voices, citing “domestic terrorism” risks.
  • Legal challenges across three states highlight overreach in school vaccination policies, with parents suing over nonconsensual vaccinations.
  • National security experts warn of incumbents weaponizing public health to suppress dissent and consolidate power.
Newly released documents, obtained by Public and Catherine Herridge Reports via a  Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, reveal a coordinated effort by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center to redefine constitutionally protected speech as extremism. The December 2021 report listed views against vaccine and mask mandates as “prominent narratives” linked to violence, citing beliefs that the policies were part of a governmental or “global conspiracy.” These narratives could “resonate” with “violent” groups like QAnon adherents, the report claimed. Yet the document acknowledged such beliefs—and even quoting DVE-affiliated individuals—are protected under the First Amendment, unless the speaker is a “threat actor.” That critical term, however, remains undefined. Former FBI Agent Steve Friend explained the policy’s far-reaching implications: “This created an articulable purpose to begin an FBI assessment against specific individuals.” Meaning: Dissenting voices could face federal scrutiny merely for questioning mandates, with no evidence of violent behavior required. Catherine Herridge, titular co-founder of Public, noted the report “draws a straight line between mandate opposition and domestic terrorism,” a charge critics argue erodes liberties in the name of safety.

The censorship complex

The implications extended beyond surveillance. According to Friend, the DVE label became a cudgel to pressure Big Tech into censorship. “You don’t want to propagate domestic terrorism? Take down these posts,” Friend summarized the administration’s leverage. Exchanges between agencies and platforms, revealed in the “Twitter Files,” confirm this collusion. In 2023, the House investigated FBI collusion with Twitter to suppress pandemic-critical content. Dr. Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense, branded the policy Orwellian. “The goal was never public health—it was obedience,” she said. “Labeling dissenters as terrorists monopolizes the narrative. You’re not allowed to question central authority.” The February 2022 DOJ report added urgency, warning school vaccination mandates could “spur conspiracy theories” and “increase the potential for violence.” Meanwhile, parents in Maine, Vermont and North Carolina sued school districts after children were vaccinated without consent—a practice the report paradoxically claimed could incite attacks.

A two-tiered system of power

The duality here is stark. While the Biden administration framed mandate critics as dangerous plotters, federal agencies showed leniency toward violent crimes on their own side. As noted in the House committee report on federal weaponization, school board protests—a staple of parent opposition to vaccine mandates— drew FBI scrutiny as “potential terrorist activity.” But when Capitol rioters overran Congress in January 2021, the Biden DOJ treated most defendants leniently, often dropping charges. “This was political,” said Public’s Darren Samuelsohn, referencing the report. “The terror label only applied to those challenging Biden’s policies.” Jeffrey Tucker of the Brownstone Institute called it “a roadmap to weaponize public health.” He noted mandates quickly mutated from pandemic measures into tools to purge dissent: requiring vaccination for medical insurance, jobs and education, thereby “ferreting out dissenters” via humiliation. Sayer Ji of Stand for Health Freedom described a broader pattern: “Public health became the new religion. Dissent became heresy.” Government reports, he added, created a “sprawling, coordinated machine” with NGOs, tech giants and European allies targeting dissent.

The Orwellian clock is ticking

The implications expand beyond vaccines. If benign disagreement qualifies as “violent extremism,” the line between dissent and “national security threat” blurs entirely. Dr. Meryl Nass of Door to Freedom cited a February 2022 DHS bulletin declaring the U.S. in a “heightened threat environment” due to “false narratives”—without evidence these narratives caused harm. “They target specific ideologies,” she said, “not violence.” Nebraska chiropractor Ben Tapper, another “Disinformation Dozen” listee, echoed her skepticism: “Labeling opponents ‘terrorists’ was a smear to silence dissent. Our courts won’t fix it—the system’s rigged.” Gabbard, the lone Democrat to declassify the findings, vowed to root out federal weaponization. Yet Tapper doubts reform. “When the establishment can label critics as terrorists, there’s little recourse,” he said.

The slippery slope of “public safety”

The documents reveal a chilling fusion of power. By redefining questioning of authority as extremism, the Biden administration institutionalized a precedent: dissent = threat. Historically, this mirrors COINTELPRO surveillance against civil rights groups, where dissent was conflated with disloyalty. Now, it’s medical mandates—a far more relatable trigger to the masses. As Jeffrey Tucker warns: “If a democratic society requires obedience to stay safe… what’s left of democracy?” The Biden-era papers are more than a pandemic relic. They’re a blueprint for how governments can—and will—hijack crisis response to punish dissenters. The real test may come next time—and this time, the mask might be figurative. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Public.news ReclaimTheNet.org
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