US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order designating Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organisation”, a move that immediately raised questions over its legality and enforcement.
The order came in the wake of the assassination of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, although officials have not established a link between the suspect and the left-wing movement, as per BBC.
The White House fact sheet argued that Antifa “has a long history of terrorising our communities,” citing incidents involving violence against law enforcement and pro-Trump events.
Trump’s order directs all federal agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations” linked to Antifa or its supporters, according to CBS News.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump called the group a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster” and pledged that it would be “thoroughly investigated”.
Antifa — short for anti-fascist — is not a formal organisation but a decentralised movement of loosely affiliated activists opposing neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other far-right groups.
The Congressional Research Service has described it as “independent, radical, like-minded groups and individuals” lacking a central leadership structure or shared ideology, as per news agency AP.
According to scholars, its activists range from anarchists and communists to hardline socialists, and some cells have engaged in violent confrontations. University of Pittsburgh professor Michael Kenney was quoted by CBS News as saying, “There’s tremendous variation inside that movement, even on issues like political violence.”
Trump has long targeted Antifa, previously blaming it for unrest during protests in his first term, particularly after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Then-Attorney General William Barr at the time also cited “antifa-like tactics” by agitators during demonstrations.
Trump revived the designation push after Kirk’s killing on September 10, saying in the Oval Office last week that he would pursue a domestic terrorism label if it had the support of his Cabinet.
Legal experts stress, however, that the US president does not have statutory authority to designate domestic groups as terrorist organisations. “You can’t prosecute an ideology,” said Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, as cited by CBS News.
While foreign terrorist organisations can be formally listed, no equivalent domestic mechanism exists due to First Amendment protections. Analysts note the administration may instead prioritise Antifa-related cases within federal law enforcement, according to AP.
The suspect in Kirk’s killing, Tyler Robinson, has been described by authorities as having developed a “leftist ideology” and resentment of Kirk’s views. But investigators have not presented evidence linking Robinson to Antifa.
Antifa’s roots trace back to US anti-fascist groups confronting neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s, with the term itself deriving from the German “antifaschistisch.” It became more visible after Trump’s election in 2016 and the violent clashes in Charlottesville in 2017, where its activists opposed far-right demonstrators.
Despite the executive order, experts say the designation is largely symbolic. Without a legal framework to enforce it, the move may serve more as a political signal of Trump’s campaign against what he calls “radical left” violence rather than a measure with immediate legal effect.
The order came in the wake of the assassination of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, although officials have not established a link between the suspect and the left-wing movement, as per BBC.
The White House fact sheet argued that Antifa “has a long history of terrorising our communities,” citing incidents involving violence against law enforcement and pro-Trump events.
Trump’s order directs all federal agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations” linked to Antifa or its supporters, according to CBS News.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump called the group a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster” and pledged that it would be “thoroughly investigated”.
Antifa — short for anti-fascist — is not a formal organisation but a decentralised movement of loosely affiliated activists opposing neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other far-right groups.
The Congressional Research Service has described it as “independent, radical, like-minded groups and individuals” lacking a central leadership structure or shared ideology, as per news agency AP.
According to scholars, its activists range from anarchists and communists to hardline socialists, and some cells have engaged in violent confrontations. University of Pittsburgh professor Michael Kenney was quoted by CBS News as saying, “There’s tremendous variation inside that movement, even on issues like political violence.”
Trump has long targeted Antifa, previously blaming it for unrest during protests in his first term, particularly after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Then-Attorney General William Barr at the time also cited “antifa-like tactics” by agitators during demonstrations.
Trump revived the designation push after Kirk’s killing on September 10, saying in the Oval Office last week that he would pursue a domestic terrorism label if it had the support of his Cabinet.
Legal experts stress, however, that the US president does not have statutory authority to designate domestic groups as terrorist organisations. “You can’t prosecute an ideology,” said Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, as cited by CBS News.
While foreign terrorist organisations can be formally listed, no equivalent domestic mechanism exists due to First Amendment protections. Analysts note the administration may instead prioritise Antifa-related cases within federal law enforcement, according to AP.
The suspect in Kirk’s killing, Tyler Robinson, has been described by authorities as having developed a “leftist ideology” and resentment of Kirk’s views. But investigators have not presented evidence linking Robinson to Antifa.
Antifa’s roots trace back to US anti-fascist groups confronting neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s, with the term itself deriving from the German “antifaschistisch.” It became more visible after Trump’s election in 2016 and the violent clashes in Charlottesville in 2017, where its activists opposed far-right demonstrators.
Despite the executive order, experts say the designation is largely symbolic. Without a legal framework to enforce it, the move may serve more as a political signal of Trump’s campaign against what he calls “radical left” violence rather than a measure with immediate legal effect.
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