President Donald Trump said he will designate “antifa” as a terrorist group.
“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 posted on Truth Social.
“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!”
Related: What is antifa, and can Donald Trump label it a 'terrorist' group?
But there is no organization named “antifa.” Rather, antifa is short for anti-fascist and references a political movement. The term was popularized around the time of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Occupy organizer Mark Bray wrote a book by that name, published in 2017.
The term grew in popularity after Trump was elected to office for his first term in 2016. The term has most commonly been embraced by anarchists and anti-capitalist groups.
But right-wing politicians and commentators have often blamed the movement for violent extremism motivated by the left, even at times trying to assign blame for activity orchestrated on the right.
Related: Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes
Trump announced his direction. days after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and reports the gunman had anti-fascism messages on ammonization clips (though not any transgender messaging, despite prior leaks to the press from the FBI).
The State Department designates a list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, one that includes several formations of theocratic groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, transcontinental gangs like Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and Boko Haram, and violent political factions like the New Irish Republic Army. Since the start of Trump’s second term, 14 groups have been added to this list.
But efforts by the federal government to fight domestic terrorism have typically focused on individuals. The current list of most wanted domestic terrorists includes some people who are affiliated with political movements, including the Animal Liberation Front and Black Panthers, but those groups have not been designated as terrorist organizations.
Trump notably also said in 2020 that he wanted to designate “antifa” as a terrorist group, something noted in the congressional record at the time. The FBI declined to designate antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, with then-FBI Director Christopher Wray saying the agency did not investigate ideology.
Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes