President Trump signed an executive order on September 22 formally designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The order directs federal agencies to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute Antifa-linked activity, accusing the movement of orchestrating violence, suppressing free speech, and undermining U.S. institutions.
The White House described Antifa as a militant anarchist enterprise dedicated to destabilizing government authority and law enforcement. According to the order, Antifa has organized riots, armed standoffs, and violent assaults while concealing funding sources and exploiting young Americans through radicalization. Federal agencies have now been instructed to treat material support for Antifa’s operations as subject to criminal prosecution.
The move represents the most direct action yet against the far-left network, which the administration has long blamed for political violence across American cities. Trump emphasized the need to restore order, protect citizens’ rights, and hold accountable those who use intimidation and destruction to silence political opponents.
Legal experts note that the U.S. lacks a statutory framework for designating domestic groups as terrorist organizations, unlike foreign entities listed by the State Department. The executive order requires enforcement “consistent with applicable law,” leaving questions about how federal agencies will implement the designation without facing constitutional challenges.
Critics argue Antifa is not a formal organization but a loose ideology, making it difficult to target under existing statutes. Supporters of the move counter that the designation provides law enforcement with greater authority to track funding networks and prosecute violent agitators operating under Antifa’s banner.
