Trump says he will designate antifa as a terrorist group

Washington: President Donald Trump announced early Thursday that he plans to designate antifa as a "major terrorist organisation.' Antifa, short for 'anti-fascists,' is an umbrella term for far -left militant groups rather than a single organisation. These groups primarily resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations.

It remains unclear how the administration would classify a decentralised movement as a terrorist organisation, and the White House offered no additional details on Wednesday.

Trump, on a state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement in a social media post shortly before 1.30 am. Thursday local time, calling antifa a "SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER." He also said he would "strongly recommend" that funders of antifa be investigated.

As a domestic entity, antifa cannot be listed by the State Department among foreign terrorist organisations, a list that includes groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Such a designation matters because it allows the Justice Department to prosecute individuals who provide material support to listed entities, even if no violence occurs.

No domestic equivalent exists, largely due to First Amendment protections for organizations operating in the United States. Although there have been periodic calls for a domestic terrorism law, especially after mass shootings by white supremacists, no singular statute currently exists.

In a Monday Oval Office briefing, Trump said he would pursue a domestic terrorism designation for antifa if supported by Attorney General Pam Bondi and his Cabinet. "It's something I would do, yeah," Trump said. "I would do that 100%. Antifa is terrible.'

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., praised the announcement Wednesday night, saying, "Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The President is right to recognise the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists." In July 2019, Cassidy and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a Senate resolution condemning antifa’s violent acts and proposing its designation as a domestic terror organisation.

During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Trump also suggested labelling antifa as a terror organisation. However, former FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that year that antifa is an ideology, not a structured organization, making it difficult to designate as a terror group under federal law.