Trump signs order designating Antifa a terrorist organization

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump signed an order Monday designating the anti-fascism movement Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and directing federal agencies to take action against it.

The order accuses Antifa of organizing political violence — including riots, attacks on law enforcement and doxing — with the goal of overthrowing the US government. It directs all relevant federal agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle” any illegal operations associated with Antifa or those supporting it, including through criminal prosecution.

The precise effect of the order — which says it must be implemented within existing laws — was not immediately clear. Trump similarly vowed to designate Antifa a terrorist organization in his first term, and legal analysts said the move would likely face constitutional challenges.

Antifa lacks centralized structure or defined leadership, and it would be a violation of the First Amendment to prosecute all those who subscribed to anti-fascist ideology. While it is illegal to provide “material support” to groups designated by the government as foreign terrorist organizations, there is not an analogous law for domestic groups.

This order is one of the first major steps in Trump’s promised crackdown on left-leaning political entities, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Monday.

The president announced last week he would designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, part of his planned targeting of left-wing groups following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Leavitt telegraphed at Monday’s briefing that the order would be one of multiple moves, as she railed against Democrats and Trump’s political foes.

“Many Democrats in elective office have now been totally captured by a radical fringe of the far left face who want to dehumanize every person they disagree with,” Leavitt said, pointing to Democratic lawmakers who voted against a resolution honoring Kirk. “We must continue to call this wickedness out. It’s the only way that our nation can heal.”

Leavitt also defended Trump’s assertion at Kirk’s funeral that he hates his political opponents. The comments put him at odds with Kirk and his widow, Erika Kirk, who said she forgave her husband’s killer and called for people to fight hate with love.

“The president is authentically himself,” Leavitt said Monday.

The term Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is used to define a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left — often the far left — but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform. Unlike militant far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, Antifa has never had a leader, nor is there a hierarchy or a command structure.

While some local groups are well-organized, Antifa’s lack of a national structure would make it hard for the administration to go after leaders or funding sources.

“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump posted on social media last week. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices!”

Leavitt noted that bullets recovered in the investigation of Kirk’s shooting were engraved with anti-fascist messages — one read, “Hey Facist! Catch!” — and she ticked through series of violent crimes she said had been “perpetuated by Antifa, radical people across this country who subscribe to this group.”

“We will be most importantly looking at who is funding Antifa and who is funding these other violent left-wing groups,” she added.

The term “antifa” has roots in anti-fascist movements that opposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini during World War II and that opposed White supremacist or skinhead groups throughout Europe during the Cold War.

Trump’s announcement that he would designate it as a terror group has raised fears that the president may be stretching the bounds of his authority to stifle any large-scale left-wing dissent. Trump has similarly suggested that those from the activist group Code Pink who protested the president during his recent visit to a Washington, DC, restaurant, should be charged with crimes.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Michael Williams contributed to this report.

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