President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared Antifa a “major terrorist organization,” intensifying his administration’s crackdown on left-wing activism amid surging political unrest.
The announcement, delivered on Truth Social, came days after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose accused killer left behind evidence tying the crime to far-left ideology. Trump described Antifa as “A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER,” and urged investigators to pursue “rigorous probes” into anyone funding the movement.
Trump had signaled the decision earlier this week, noted Fox News. Asked in the Oval Office if he would label Antifa a terror group, he replied “100%,” condemning members as “professional agitators.” “Antifa is terrible,” he said. “These aren’t protests, these are crimes that they’re doing. They’re throwing bricks at cars of the ICE and Border Patrol. … They should be put in jail. What they’re doing to this country is really subversive.”
Activists, often masked and dressed in black, coordinate through social media and local collectives. Supporters cast themselves as opponents of fascism and white supremacy, while critics accuse them of harassment, street clashes, and disruptions of immigration enforcement. Reports from demonstrations, including a June 14 protest in Seattle, describe activists blocking traffic, forcing drivers into chants, and setting fires. A group earlier in the year was caught attacking ICE members. Polling has shown that liberals have become more and more accepting of assassinations and violence over the past decade.
The legal impact of Trump’s move remains unclear. Federal law allows sanctions against foreign terrorist organizations, but no parallel framework exists for domestic movements. Analysts suggest the administration could turn to racketeering statutes, financial investigations, or expanded surveillance, though Antifa’s loose structure may blunt enforcement.
Democrats and civil liberties advocates argue the move risks criminalizing ideology and infringing on First Amendment rights because they genuinely believe Antifa does not exist, despite the rioting in violence the public has seen over the past five years. The White House has not detailed which agencies will lead enforcement or when the designation will take effect.
