Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization is “in the works.” Speaking to Sid Rosenberg of “Sid and Friends in the Morning,” Rubio said, “Obviously, there are different branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, so you’d have to designate each one of them.”
“But let me just tell you that there’s a process which I didn’t fully appreciate till I came into this job, and I know people don’t want to hear about processes, but because these things are going to be challenged in court, right?” Rubio stated. “Any group can say, ‘Well, I’m not really a terrorist – that organization is not a terrorist organization,’ so you have to show your – you have to show your – the paperwork. You have to show your work like the – like a math problem when you go before court.”
Explaining that some designations can be tied up in court, Rubio noted, “We are constantly reviewing for groups to designate for what they are: supporters of terrorists, maybe terrorists themselves, whatever it may be. We haven’t done this in a long time, so it’s – we’ve got a lot of catch-up to do. And you’ve mentioned a couple names, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, that are of grave concern.”
Several Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Bahrain, have already designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a bill last month to officially designate the network as a terrorist organization. The legislation, called the “Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025,” aims to financially cripple the global operation by targeting its violent affiliates and banning financial transactions with its members.
