Trump Signs Order Designating Antifa as Domestic Terrorist Group

President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist group, as his administration moves to intensify its scrutiny of left-leaning organizations following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The order, which the president signed on Monday, directs all relevant federal agencies to use “all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations — especially those involving terrorist actions — conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa.”

Trump’s action follows through on his threat to formally designate Antifa as a “MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.” But that name, short for “antifascist,” references a loose collective of far-left militant groups.

It is still largely unclear how the administration will implement the order against such groups. Federal law allows for international groups to be labeled as foreign terrorist organizations but there isn’t a similar provision for domestic groups.

The text of the executive order, shared on X by the White House, also allows federal officials to deploy “necessary investigatory and prosecutorial actions against those who fund such operations.”

The order claims members of the group employ “elaborate means and mechanisms to shield the identities of its operatives, conceal its funding sources and operations in an effort to frustrate law enforcement, and recruit additional members.”

Trump and allies have indicated they intend to carry out a wide-ranging response targeting leftist groups and political opponents they blame in part for Kirk’s death at the hands of a gunman earlier this month, even though authorities have not linked the killing directly to any political groups and say that the suspect acted alone.

The president has argued that a spate of violence impacting the country has predominantly been spurred by leftist groups, even though members of both parties have been targeted by incidents in recent years. Trump and Vice President JD Vance have suggested actions they could pursue, including racketeering investigations against organizations they say foment leftist protests and stripping groups of their tax-exempt status.

Then-FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers in 2020 that Antifa is an ideology and not an organization, and a Congressional Research Service report compiled during the first Trump administration said the movement “lacks a unifying organizational structure or detailed ideology.”

To contact the reporters on this story:
Hadriana Lowenkron in Washington at hlowenkron@bloomberg.net;
Skylar Woodhouse in Washington at swoodhouse15@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Mario Parker at mparker22@bloomberg.net

Meghashyam Mali, Justin Sink

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