United States President Donald Trump has said he plans to designate Antifa, a left-wing activist movement, as a “terrorist organisation.”
The announcement came late on Wednesday through Trump’s Truth Social account.
He described Antifa as a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster,” and a “major terrorist organisation.” He added, “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding Antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Antifa, short for anti-fascists, is a loosely organised network of activists opposed to right-wing ideology. The group has no clear leader, membership list, or formal structure, making it unclear what exactly the designation would apply to.
The move follows White House claims earlier this week that left-wing activists were driving a “vast domestic terror movement.” Officials linked this movement to the recent killing of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated that they were going to channel all of their anger over the organised campaign that had led to the assassination into uprooting and dismantling the terrorist networks.
Investigators say Kirk was killed by 22-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson. A motive has not been confirmed, but some on the right have pointed to leftist ideology.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said that Antifa had seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. He added that the President was right to recognise the destructive role of Antifa by designating them as domestic terrorists.
Critics argue the Trump administration is using Kirk’s death as a pretext to silence political opponents.
This is not the first time Trump has threatened such action.
During his first term, he also considered branding Antifa a terrorist group after protests over the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020. At the time, Trump blamed Antifa for “domestic terrorism” and accused its supporters of inciting violence during demonstrations.
Legal experts then said Trump had no authority to designate domestic groups as terrorist organisations in the same way the US does with foreign entities.