Why It Matters
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will hold a hearing on July 21 examining whether the U.S. intelligence community is prepared to address evolving terrorist threats 25 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The hearing comes amid recent terrorism-related indictments, continued warnings from U.S. intelligence agencies and the Trump administration's renewed focus on counterterrorism.
Federal prosecutors on July 10 announced charges against eight men accused of plotting an attack at a UFC event near the White House, including conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal property. The intelligence community's 2026 Annual Threat Assessment continues to identify Islamist ideology and terrorism, major power competition, and weapons of mass destruction threats as leading national security concerns, while noting that groups such as al-Qaida and ISIS increasingly rely on online propaganda and external influence operations to inspire attacks.
The Trump administration also released a national counterterrorism strategy in May, underscoring continued executive branch attention to evolving terrorist threats. The committee recently held a hearing examining how states are experiencing counterintelligence threats, reflecting broader congressional oversight of intelligence and homeland security issues.
The Hearing Details
The hearing, titled "25 Years After 9/11: Confronting the Next Generation of Threats," will feature testimony from retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster of the Hoover Institution, Seth Jones of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Frank Cilluffo of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure at Auburn University. The committee has indicated additional witnesses may be announced.
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