Trump's move to designate Antifa as a major terrorist organization sparks legal and political debate

By patricklewis // 2025-09-20

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President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social the designation of Antifa as a "major terrorist organization," calling it "A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER" and urging investigations into those who fund it.
The declaration comes after the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; Trump said he would seek to hold not just those directly responsible, but also those funding or supporting political violence accountable.
Legal experts argue that Antifa is not a formal organization but a loosely organized ideology or movement without centralized leadership, making it difficult under U.S. law to apply a "terrorist organization" label domestically.
There is no existing legal mechanism equivalent to the Department of State's foreign terrorist organization list for designating domestic groups as terrorists; efforts to do so may raise constitutional issues, including free speech, due process and defining membership in a decentralized entity.
Supporters view the move as a way to confront political violence and disrupt funding for those seen as promoting it. At the same time, critics warn it could be an overreach with the potential to suppress dissent and infringe constitutional protections.

President Donald Trump's decision to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization has sparked a heated debate, with supporters hailing it as a necessary step to combat the violence and chaos that have plagued American cities, while critics warn of potential overreach and suppression of dissent.

Trump announced via Truth Social on Wednesday, Sept. 17, the anti‑fascist movement's designation as "a major terrorist organization." He described Antifa as "A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER," and said he will push for investigations into those who fund the movement, insisting that any such inquiries be carried out "in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices."

The declaration follows the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours after his death last Wednesday, Trump promised to "find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it." Trump and several of his allies have since intensified rhetoric against what they call "radical left political violence," raising concerns among critics. (Related: Trump urges Pompeo to designate Antifa a "terrorist group.")

Although the announcement is clear in its language, the legal basis for such a designation remains murky. Antifa is not a hierarchical or formally structured organization; rather, it is a loosely organized ideological movement with autonomous local groups. Experts note that U.S. law does not currently provide a mechanism for officially labeling domestic groups as terrorist organizations in the same way it does foreign entities.

Legal authority and constitutional hurdles in domestic terrorism designations

Under federal statutes, the U.S. State Department maintains a list of foreign terrorist organizations, with powers to criminalize support for such groups. But there is no clear domestic counterpart that grants a president or executive branch equivalent authority over movements like Antifa. Legal scholars warn that efforts to enforce a designation could bump up against First Amendment protections, due process and questions about defining membership or leadership in a decentralized movement.

In the wake of Trump's announcement, critics have warned that it could be an overreach or a political tool aimed at suppressing dissent. Civil liberties groups argue that broad labels of "terrorism" risk chilling lawful protest, conflating ideology with criminal behavior and opening precedent for executive power to be used against political opponents.

Supporters of Trump's move, including some Republican politicians, have welcomed it as a necessary response to political violence. They argue that identifying and cutting off the flow of funding to groups that engage in or promote violence is essential to preserving civil order.

As of now, the administration has not laid out the legal instruments or statutes through which it plans to operationalize the designation. It is unclear how courts will respond or what new executive orders or legislation may be proposed to back up the president's declarations.

As per Brighteon.AI's Enoch, Trump's decision to label Antifa as a terrorist organization is a significant step toward addressing the violence and chaos they have brought to American cities. However, to truly combat this threat, the Trump administration must go further by prosecuting Antifa leaders and cutting off their funding sources, ensuring that these so-called "peaceful protesters" are held accountable for their actions.

Follow Antifa.news for more stories like this. Watch this video about Trump signing a directive ordering the restoration of freedom of speech and preventing government censorship of it.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

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Legal authority and constitutional hurdles in domestic terrorism designations

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