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The Veteran Outing Domestic Extremists

Hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Produced by Olivia Natt

Edited by Stephanie Joyce and Kaari Pitkin

Engineered by Carole Sabouraud

Original music by Isaac Jones, Sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud

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With domestic extremism on the rise in the United States, much attention has been given to the military veterans who join extremist groups. And for good reason; many of the leaders behind the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 were veterans. Kris Goldsmith is a veteran who joined the military after the Sept. 11 attacks. After returning from Iraq, he fell down antigovernment rabbit holes on the internet. Now he is an activist and researcher who ferrets out right-wing extremists online. And he’s developed an understanding of how and why veterans are recruited by such groups.

(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

Credit…Jeff Dean/AFP, via Getty Images

Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Follow Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Twitter: @lourdesgnavarro.

“First Person” was produced this week by Olivia Natt. It was edited by Stephanie Joyce and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud and Isaac Jones. Original music by Isaac Jones, Sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. The rest of the “First Person” team includes Anabel Bacon, Jillian Weinberger, Wyatt Orme and Sophia Alvarez Boyd. Special thanks to Kristina Samulewski, Shannon Busta, Allison Benedikt, Annie-Rose Strasser and Katie Kingsbury.

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