**President Trump Announces Plan to Designate Antifa as a Major Terrorist Organization**
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced early Thursday that he plans to designate antifa as a major terrorist organization. Antifa, short for anti-fascists, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups rather than a singular entity. These groups primarily resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially during demonstrations.
It remains unclear how the administration intends to label what is effectively a decentralized movement as a terrorist organization. The White House did not immediately provide further details following the announcement on Wednesday.
Trump, who is currently on a state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement in a social media post shortly before 1:30 a.m. Thursday local time. In the post, he described antifa as a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER.” He also stated that he will be strongly recommending investigations into funders of antifa.
As a domestic entity, antifa is not eligible for inclusion on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations. That list currently includes dozens of groups, such as extremist organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaida. The designation is significant because it allows the Justice Department to prosecute individuals who provide material support to listed entities, even if that support does not lead to violence.
However, there is no domestic equivalent to this list, partly due to broad First Amendment protections afforded to organizations operating within the United States. Despite periodic calls — especially after mass shootings by white supremacists — to establish a domestic terrorism law, no singular statute currently exists.
In an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said he would pursue a domestic terrorism designation for antifa if the move had the support of Attorney General Pam Bondi and other members of his Cabinet.
“It’s something I would do, yeah. I would do that 100%,” Trump said. “Antifa is terrible.”
On Wednesday night, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) praised the announcement, stating: “Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The President is right to recognize the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists.”
Cassidy, along with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), introduced a resolution in July 2019 condemning the violent acts of antifa and calling to designate the group as a domestic terror organization.
During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Trump also raised the idea of designating antifa as a terror organization. However, Trump’s former FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that year that antifa is an ideology rather than an organization, lacking the hierarchical structure typically required for federal terrorism designation.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/world/americas/trump-says-hell-designate-antifa-as-a-terrorist-group-1904457
