Miles Taylor: Ohio rife with homegrown terrorism

Originally Published: Statehouse News Bureau By JO INGLES

A former chief of staff with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security says home grown terrorism groups are in Ohio and their prevalence is growing.

Miles Taylor resigned from the Trump administration last year. But he says his former agency is aware that domestic terrorist groups like the one allegedly involved with plotting to kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer are operating here in the Buckeye State.

“Ohio is definitely at the epicenter of this. It’s important the administration focus on the problem. Unfortunately, we have a president who, rather than telling these terrorists that they are going to stand trial, is telling them to stand by,” Taylor says.

President Trump told the Proud Boys, a group regarded by many as a domestic terrorist organization, to “stand down and stand by” in the first presidential debate this year. The group responded to those comments on social media. A couple of days later, he said in an interview, that the comment was meant to embolden the group. Trump has touted his endorsements from many law enforcement organizations throughout the U.S. during the past month.

Taylor was in Ohio to speak at Sinclair Community College as part of a forum hosted by Operation Grant, a group of Republicans who are campaigning on behalf of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden.