President Donald Trump introduced late Wednesday that he would designate antifa as a home terrorist group. There’s only one downside—really, a number of: antifa isn’t a company; the far proper commits much more political violence; and Trump doubtless doesn’t have the ability to do it anyway.
“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,” Trump wrote on Reality Social. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.”
A White Home official doubled down, telling CNN the transfer was “one of many actions the president will take to address left-wing organizations that fuel political violence.”
Associated | People see left and proper violence as equal points. The info doesn’t.
However like lots of Trump’s headline-grabbing pronouncements, it’s unclear how he may even pull this off. Antifa—brief for “anti-fascist”—is a unfastened social motion, not a proper group. There’s no management, membership rolls, or perhaps a headquarters. The ADL notes that “because there is no unifying body for antifa, it is impossible to know how many adherents are currently active.” That makes it almost not possible to know who, precisely, Trump is concentrating on.
The time period antifa typically describes a broad set of individuals whose politics lean left—usually far left—however who don’t essentially align with the Democratic Celebration platform. Some teams meet recurrently in sure states, however there’s nothing resembling a nationwide construction.
Even when Trump may discover somebody to focus on, the authorized basis for such a transfer is shaky at greatest. Solely the secretary of state can designate international teams as terrorist organizations. There’s no parallel course of for home teams. Throughout Trump’s first time period, Mary McCord, a former senior official on the Division of Justice, instructed Al Jazeera that there was no process for “designating domestic organizations as terrorist organizations” and warned such efforts would elevate “significant First Amendment concerns.”
This isn’t Trump’s first try to color antifa as terrorist. Again in Could 2020, in the course of the nationwide protests over the police homicide of George Floyd, he introduced plans to make the designation and then-Legal professional Normal Invoice Barr mentioned he’d deal with antifa violence as home terrorism. However months later, FBI Director Chris Wray instructed Congress that “antifa is an ideology, not a group or organization,” an announcement which earned him a public rebuke from Trump.
And the info doesn’t again up Trump’s claims. Counterprotesters performing below the antifa banner have generally turned violent, however left-wing extremists account for a fraction of political violence within the U.S. Between 1975 and September 2025, right-wing extremists have been liable for 391 murders, based on the Cato Institute. Left-wing extremists have been liable for 65.
Trump’s new push comes within the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing, which has set off a firestorm on the proper. Even earlier than the shooter was recognized, outstanding conservatives have been calling for “war” in opposition to the left. A 22-year-old man has since been charged with homicide, allegedly admitting in textual content messages that he killed Kirk due to his “hatred,” however his precise motive stays unclear. Up to now, there’s no proof connecting him to antifa.
That hasn’t stopped Trump officers from signaling a broader crackdown. White Home deputy chief of employees Stephen Miller mentioned the administration plans to “channel all of the anger that we have over the organized campaign that led to this assassination, to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks.”
Trump, for his half, has floated revoking tax-exempt standing for liberal nonprofits.
“Antifa is terrible. There are other groups,” Trump mentioned Monday within the Oval Workplace. “We have some pretty radical groups, and they got away with murder,” he added, with out providing any examples or proof.
He additionally mentioned he and Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi have been discussing racketeering expenses in opposition to left-wing teams he accuses of selling violence.
Associated | Even Charlie Kirk would’ve disagreed with Pam Bondi about ‘hate speech’
“I’ve asked Pam to look into that in terms of RICO, bringing RICO cases,” Trump mentioned. “They should be put in jail. What they’re doing to this country is really subversive.”
The crackdown doesn’t cease there. Bondi briefly steered prosecuting “hateful speech” earlier than backtracking. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth has begun suspending navy service members who posted unfavourable feedback about Kirk on-line. And Vice President JD Vance even inspired People to name the employers of people that criticized Kirk within the wake of his dying.
Designating any home group as a terrorist group can be an unprecedented step and would virtually definitely face authorized challenges—however Trump has by no means let that cease him. All 219 terrorist teams designated by the State Division are international entities, and there’s a purpose for that: The legislation was designed to stop U.S. presidents from wielding this energy in opposition to their political opponents at residence.
However Trump isn’t frightened concerning the authorized struggle—he’s centered on the spectacle. Announce probably the most excessive resolution, drive everybody to react, and see what sticks. The courtroom isn’t his endgame: intimidation is.
