Trump Signs Executive Order to Designate Muslim Brotherhood Chapters as Terrorist Organizations
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday that initiates the process of labeling key chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, a move long championed by Republican lawmakers and national security hawks.
The order directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to assess and prepare formal designations of Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). The State and Treasury Departments now have 30 days to issue a detailed report and 45 days to carry out the official designations.
Founded in 1928 in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood has long been linked to radical Islamist movements throughout the Middle East, including Hamas. Trump’s executive order cites the group’s direct and indirect involvement in supporting violence against U.S. interests and regional allies.
“Its chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests,” the president wrote.
Trump highlighted specific examples in the order, including an October 7, 2023, call by a senior Egyptian Brotherhood leader for violent attacks against U.S. partners. The order also accuses Jordanian Brotherhood figures of materially aiding Hamas and outlines how the group’s Lebanese wing coordinated with Hamas and Hezbollah to launch rocket attacks on Israel following the October 7 terrorist assault.
“Such activities threaten the security of American civilians in the Levant and other parts of the Middle East, as well as the safety and stability of our regional partners,” Trump added.
The White House said the primary objective of the order is to dismantle the operational capabilities of these Brotherhood factions by cutting off their funding, communications, and logistical support.
“The ultimate aim is to eliminate the designated chapters’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and end any threat such chapters pose to U.S. nationals and the national security of the United States,” a White House spokesperson stated.
Trump previewed the move in an interview with Just the News on Sunday, saying, “It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms.”
The executive order marks a major escalation in the Trump administration’s foreign policy posture against Islamist organizations, particularly in the wake of renewed tensions in the Middle East following Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel.
Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott designated both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations at the state level, prompting praise from Trump allies and pressure on federal agencies to follow suit.
Congressional Republicans have long advocated for this step. With Trump’s executive order now in effect, the federal designation process is underway — one that could have major geopolitical and legal implications across the Middle East.