Trump Designates Antifa ‘A Major Terrorist Organization’
President Donald Trump on Wednesday officially designated Antifa as a “major terrorist organization,” escalating his administration’s crackdown on radical left-wing violence following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“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 declared in a Truth Social post. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.”
The announcement marks a sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric toward left-wing agitators and follows his earlier statements suggesting that the Biden-era federal government turned a blind eye to political violence coming from the left. Antifa has long been accused of inciting riots, attacking law enforcement, and attempting to intimidate conservatives on college campuses and in public spaces.
Trump’s decision comes on the heels of the September 10 assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at a university event in Utah. The suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with aggravated murder and other felonies and is alleged to have espoused far-left ideology.
In a somber video statement after Kirk’s death, Trump directly connected radical rhetoric from the left with real-world violence.
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” he said.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the kind of terrorism that we are seeing in our country today and it must stop right now,” Trump continued.
Trump has also floated proposals to revoke the tax-exempt status of progressive nonprofit organizations that promote or fund groups with ties to extremism.
The terrorist designation opens the door for enhanced federal surveillance and law enforcement measures against Antifa-affiliated individuals and organizations. It also signals a broader shift in domestic counterterrorism policy as Trump moves to crack down on what he describes as “ideological extremism” from the left.