# Political Terrorism Operates Through Overt Violence and Quieter Institutional Sabotage by Scott Bessent > "Some [left-wing terrorist] activities are overt: bombings, assassinations, and organized violence in our streets. Others are quieter: campaigns to suppress speech, intimidate political opposition, and sabotage our national institutions." > **— Scott Bessent**, *Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026* ## Sources and Context - **Source dossier:** [[research/Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism|Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism]]. - **Direct publication or recording:** [direct transcript](https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/07/remarks-at-the-opening-of-the-ministerial-on-the-resurgence-of-political-terrorism/). - **Editorial form:** The readable quotation retains visible brackets and/or an ellipsis for source-supported clarification or omission. The candidate map below records the exact treatment. - **Context and treatment:** The bracket replaces "these" with the left-wing terrorism identified in the preceding sentence. Bessent distinguishes overt physical violence from quieter suppression, intimidation, and institutional sabotage; [direct transcript](https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/07/remarks-at-the-opening-of-the-ministerial-on-the-resurgence-of-political-terrorism/), Bessent remarks. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Environment|Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Environment]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Culture Collection]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Coming Market for Civilian Spycraft|The Coming Market for Civilian Spycraft]] - **Article:** [[articles/Reframing Antisemitism as a National Security Threat|Reframing Antisemitism as a National Security Threat]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Scott Bessent|Scott Bessent]] - [[wiki/Counterterrorism|Counterterrorism]] - [[wiki/Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism|Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism]] ## Share on Social Media ``` "Some [left-wing terrorist] activities are overt: bombings, assassinations, and organized violence in our streets. Others are quieter: campaigns to suppress speech, intimidate political opposition, and sabotage our national institutions." — Scott Bessent, Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-scott-bessent-political-terrorism-operates-through-overt-violence-and-quieter-institutional-sabotage ```