President Donald Trump declared the far-left anti-fascism movement Antifa a terrorist organization, announcing the decision on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Thursday morning UK time.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Trump would make the designation, and Antifa lacks a centralized structure or defined leadership, making it unclear who or what would be targeted.
“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Mr. Trump wrote. “I will also strongly recommend that those who fund ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated using the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for paying attention to this matter!”
A White House official told CNN that “this is just one of many actions the president will take to address left-wing organizations that fuel political violence.”
Trump, who is currently overseas on a formal state visit, hinted at the move earlier this week in remarks from the Oval Office following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Following Kirk’s assassination, a number of administration officials have indicated that they will target what they believe is a coordinated left-wing effort to incite violence. Some Democrats have protested the moves, accusing Trump of using them as a pretext to crack down on dissent or opposing viewpoints.
It was also unclear what practical implications the asserted designation would have. During his first term, Trump promised to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, and his then-attorney general, William Barr, stated that its activities constituted “domestic terrorism.”
However, Antifa, which stands for anti-fascists, is a more nebulous social movement rather than a structured organization. And, while it is illegal to provide “material support” to government-designated foreign terrorist organizations, there is no equivalent law for domestic groups.
The term Antifa refers to a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean to the left, often to the far left, but do not align with the Democratic Party platform, CNN previously reported. The organization lacks an official leader or headquarters, though groups in some states hold regular meetings.
Aside from designating certain left-wing groups as terrorist organizations, Trump earlier this week suggested revoking tax-exempt status for liberal non-profit organizations, and his attorney general suggested filing criminal charges against groups or individuals who allegedly target conservatives.
“Antifa is terrible. “There are other groups,” Trump said on Monday in the Oval Office. “We have some pretty radical groups, and they got away with murder,” he said, without providing any evidence or explanation.
Trump also stated that he had been discussing with Attorney General Pam Bondi the possibility of filing racketeering charges against left-wing organizations that he claimed were funding left-wing agitators.
“I’ve asked Pam to look into that in terms of RICO, bringing RICO cases,” he said. He continued: “They should be put in jail, what they’re doing to this country is really subversive.”
