Trump announces intent to classify antifa as a terrorist organization, providing scant specifics
President Donald Trump has announced his intention to designate antifa as a "major terrorist organization." The announcement, made in a social media post shortly before 1:30 a.m. local time, came without immediate details from the White House.
In the Oval Office on Monday, Trump reiterated his stance that antifa is "terrible," stating that he would pursue a domestic terrorism designation for the group if it had the support of Attorney General Pam Bondi and others in his Cabinet. Trump also said he will be "strongly recommending" that funders of antifa be investigated.
The idea of designating antifa as a terror organization is not new. Trump first raised this idea in 2020, during the George Floyd protests. Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a resolution in the Senate in July 2019 to condemn the violent acts of antifa and to designate the group a domestic terror organization.
Antifa, an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups, is not a singular entity. The groups resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations. However, the administration's methodology for labeling a decentralized movement as a terrorist organization is unclear.
Trump's former FBI director, Christopher Wray, testified in 2020 that antifa is an ideology, not an organization, lacking the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror group by the federal government.
Senator Bill Cassidy described antifa as promoting violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. Senator Cassidy praised Trump's announcement, stating that it was a step towards addressing the violence and lawlessness associated with antifa.
It's important to note that there is no domestic equivalent to the State Department's list of foreign terror organizations due to broad First Amendment protections in the United States. Antifa, being a domestic entity, is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department's list.
The announcement to classify Antifa as a terrorist organization was made later by US President Donald Trump, but this occurred after 2021. In 2021, no official person agreed to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.
Trump has consistently called antifa a "SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER." His statements come amidst ongoing debates about the role of far-left groups in American politics and society. The implications of this potential designation, if it were to be implemented, remain to be seen.
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