Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Department of Defense issued new rules banning extremist activities in the military, such as advocating terrorism, supporting the overthrow of the government, or raising money for extremist groups. In a report published last year, the Center for American Progress and the McCain Institute for International Leadership urged the Defense Department to adopt screening processes, behavior policies, and training to recognize, prevent, and address white supremacist activities among service members. In response to the new rules announcement, Rudy deLeon, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former deputy secretary of Defense, issued the following statement:
There should be zero tolerance in our nation’s military for anyone supporting domestic violence or extremism of any kind. Addressing the rise of violent extremism is one of our nation’s top priorities, and efforts like this are critical in the fight to address the root causes of extremism and hate.
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