25 years after 9/11, Americans fear domestic extremists more than foreign attacks: poll

Americans are now more worried about domestic extremists than foreign terror groups 25 years after the September 11 attacks, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Asked to name the biggest threat to public safety, 33% picked domestic terrorism, 20% picked foreign terrorism, and 42% pointed to random acts of violence such as mass shootings, according to the August 28-31 poll.

How does this compare with fears about domestic terrorism a decade ago?

The shift marks a reversal from 2013, when Reuters/Ipsos polling found just 21% of Americans considered domestic terrorism the top threat, versus 28% who pointed to foreign terrorism and 51% who cited random acts of violence.

Domestic terrorism now ranks above both other categories in the current poll.

What happened during the September 11, 2001 attacks?

Foreign al Qaeda militants crashed hijacked airplanes into New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon outside Washington on September 11, 2001, killing thousands. The attacks sparked decades of war, including the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, where al Qaeda's leaders were based.

Al Qaeda also inspired the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, in which two foreign-born brothers killed three people and injured more than 260, with a fourth person killed days later.

What domestic extremist attacks have raised concern in the US?

The United States has also seen many domestically inspired attacks, including the 2016 mass shooting that killed 49 people at a Florida gay nightclub, alongside other attacks on Black, Latino and Jewish Americans. President Donald Trump has faced multiple assassination attempts himself, including a 2024 shooting that wounded his ear. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead in September 2025 while speaking to university students in Utah.

Asked separately which ideology-driven attacks pose the bigger threat, 61% of respondents in the latest poll picked domestic extremists, while 34% picked those from abroad.

Do Americans still think about the September 11 attacks?

The legacy of the September 11 attacks remains strong, the survey found. Six in 10 people say they periodically think about the attacks, and roughly the same share say they would support a military response if there were another major attack. Americans do not, however, believe the wars that followed 9/11 were worth the cost.

Some 48% said the war in Afghanistan was not worth its toll, compared with 21% who said it was, while the rest were unsure or did not answer. The war in Iraq was similarly unpopular, with 51% disapproving and 21% approving. Public disapproval of those wars played a role in Trump's rise, as he campaigned on a platform of avoiding enduring wars.

What do Americans think about the war in Iran?

Trump himself launched a war on Iran six months ago that has eluded efforts at a speedy resolution. The poll found only 25% of Americans think the conflict has been worth it, compared with 54% who think it has not.

Do Americans support increased security measures since 9/11?

Six in 10 Americans, including eight in 10 Republicans, think the government's response to the September 11 attacks has been at least somewhat effective in preventing attacks on US soil. A bipartisan majority, including 71% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans, think the beefed-up airport security introduced after the attacks has been worth the disruption to travel.

Americans are also more inclined to support government-run airport security. Only 23% supported an idea studied by the Trump administration that would replace federal security screeners with private contractors, while 48% were opposed.

Do Americans support domestic surveillance introduced after 9/11?

The expansion of domestic surveillance after 2001 has proven less popular, with 65% opposed to allowing US intelligence agencies to monitor the electronic communications of American citizens without a warrant. A 2008 law permitting that practice lapsed in June, though the Trump administration has asked Congress to reauthorise it.

Most Americans look back on September 11 as an event that unified the country. Seventy-five percent say it had a major impact on the nation, far more than the 41% who say the same about the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online among 1,167 US adults nationwide, with margins of error of between three and six percentage points.