Day: October 9, 2025

Trump and ANTIFA
1 minute ago
This renewed focus follows his claims that Antifa and other left-wing groups are responsible for escalating political violence in the U.S. This rhetoric has sparked legal and free speech concerns, similar to his efforts during his first term in 2020.Former President Donald Trump has designated Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization” through a September 2025 executive order and vowed to crack down on the movement
Executive actions and rhetoric (2025)
Executive order designation: In September 2025, after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump signed an executive order designating Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization”. The order describes Antifa as a “militarist, anarchist enterprise” that promotes violence to overthrow the government.
Intensified rhetoric: Trump has amplified his criticism of Antifa, describing it as a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster”. The new campaign is focused on disrupting the movement and tracing its funding, with Trump and his administration comparing it to gangs and drug cartels.
White House roundtable: On October 8, 2025, Trump held a White House roundtable with conservative media figures to discuss violence allegedly perpetrated by Antifa. Guests included personalities like Jack Posobiec and Andy Ngo.
Targeting of critics: Trump has used his Truth Social platform to threaten jail time for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who have opposed his use of federal force in their cities.
National Guard deployments: Trump has ordered National Guard troops to cities like Chicago and Portland, citing threats to federal officials and civil unrest. A federal judge, however, temporarily blocked the deployment in Oregon.
Legal and civil liberties concerns
Legal challenges: Legal experts and critics have questioned the legality of Trump’s executive order, as U.S. law does not contain a formal process for designating domestic groups as terrorist organizations.
Decentralized movement: Antifa is a decentralized, leaderless movement rather than a formal organization, which complicates how the federal government can target it. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray and a 2020 Congressional Research Service report both noted that Antifa is more of an ideology than a structured group.
Suppression of dissent: Critics have warned that designating Antifa as a terrorist group could be used to suppress dissent and target political opponents. During the October 8 roundtable, some expressed concern that the broad rhetoric could lead to a crackdown on civil liberties.
Targeting of academics: Following the executive order, a Rutgers University expert on Antifa, Mark Bray, and his family received death threats and attempted to flee the country. Bray had previously been accused of belonging to Antifa by the group Turning Point USA.
Context and history
Precedent from 2020: The conflict mirrors Trump’s actions in 2020, when he also threatened to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization following protests related to the death of George Floyd.
Use as a catch-all term: Observers note that “Antifa” has become a catch-all term used by some on the right to broadly describe left-wing protest organizers and opponents of Trump. The label has been applied to groups like Black Lives Matter and violent protesters.
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— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 9, 2025