Trump says he’ll designate antifa as a terrorist group but offers few details
By SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press WASHINGTON AP President Donald Trump announced early Thursday that he plans to designate antifa as a major terrorist organization Antifa short for anti-fascists is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity They consist of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis especially at demonstrations It s unclear how the administration would label what is effectively a decentralized movement as a terrorist organization and the White House on Wednesday did not right away offer more details Trump who is on a state visit to the United Kingdom made the announcement in a social media post shortly before a m Thursday local time He called antifa a SICK DANGEROUS RADICAL LEFT TRAGEDY He also commented he will be strongly recommending that funders of antifa be investigated Antifa is a domestic entity and as such is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department s list of foreign terror organizations Dozens of groups including extremist organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaida are included on that list The designation matters in part because it enables the Justice Department to prosecute those who give material endorsement to entities on that list even if that help does not end in violence There is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad First Amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States And despite periodic calls particularly after mass shootings by white supremacists to establish a domestic terrorism law no singular statute now exists In an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday Trump noted he would pursue a domestic terrorism designation for antifa if such a move had the advocacy of Attorney General Pam Bondi and others in his Cabinet It s something I would do yeah Trump reported I would do that Antifa is terrible Related Articles Judge blocks Trump administration from right away deporting Guatemalan migrant children Trump and Starmer sign a tech deal before holding private talks on tariffs and war Kennedy s advisory panel is expected to vote on hepatitis B and MMRV vaccines ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel s late-night show indefinitely over his remarks about Charlie Kirk s death Republican leaders reject Democratic strength care demands for bill to avoid shutdown Wednesday night Sen Bill Cassidy R-La praised Trump s announcement saying Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy working against justice for all The President is right to recognize the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists In July Cassidy and Sen Ted Cruz R-Texas introduced a resolution in the Senate to condemn the violent acts of antifa and to designate the group a domestic terror organization In in the midst of the George Floyd protests Trump also raised the idea of designating antifa as a terror organization Trump s previous FBI director Christopher Wray mentioned in testimony that year that antifa is an ideology not an organization lacking the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror group by the federal regime
