Trump vows to label Antifa a ‘major terrorist group’ amid legal and political debate
TOI World Desk | TOI Global Desk | Sep 19, 2025, 20:10 IST
President Donald Trump renewed his pledge to declare Antifa a terrorist organization amid rising political unrest. The decentralized left-wing group, known for anti-fascist activism, faces criticism for violent protests. Legal experts say such a designation lacks clear authority and risks government overreach, fueling polarized debates ahead of the 2026 election.
President Donald Trump is once again targeting Antifa, vowing to make the loosely knit left-wing movement a "major terrorist organization." The threat, in a statement via Trump's Truth Social social media platform, comes as new political activism that had broken out and has created enormous legal and political repercussions.
Antifa is a loose, decentralized group of anti-far-right, anti-fascist, and anti-racist activists. It was originally used during the 1930s in Germany and again came back into the limelight in the U.S. after Trump's election of 2016 and Charlottesville's 2017 white nationalist riot.
The movement is often most closely linked to anarchists, socialists, and other politically far-left groups typically holding anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian, and liberal beliefs. The vast majority of Antifa-associated activists are also engaged in the defense of LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and racial justice. Instead of being organized under the chain of command of a centralized leadership or formal membership, local cells and individual activists act independently, typically both online and offline.
Trump himself has been an outspoken critic of Antifa, faulting it for initiating violent confrontations during protests and characterizing it as a domestic threat. Supporters of this position cite instances of property destruction, brawling on the streets, and so-called "doxxing" campaigns, wherein Antifa protesters broadcast people's personal information whom they label as fascists or white supremacists. While most Antifa supporters believe their actions are an imperative measure of defense against the marginalized, critics of the movement believe that it promotes and fosters violence politically.
Confrontations involving Antifa and right-wing factions such as the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer have continuously escalated into violence in Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California. Antifa demonstrators also frequently dress in black and masks, a strategy referred to as "black bloc," in order to conceal their identities and appear as one group.
In spite of what Trump said, legal scholars have clarified that he has limited leeway in calling a domestic group a terrorist organization. Foreign entities alone can be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the State Department under existing U.S. law. Legal scholars say that taking such a move to deputize a domestic ideology — and most notably one as amorphous as Antifa — as terrorism would encounter serious constitutional challenges.
Luke Baumgartner, a fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, noted that Trump’s declaration is largely symbolic without action from Congress or changes to existing law. “There is no legal mechanism I’m aware of that would formally establish any group as a domestic terror organization,” he said.
Experts further caution that cracking down on a spreading ideological movement such as Antifa may presage government overreach. Lacking formal leadership or membership, people might be brought up on charges of belonging based on their appearance, demonstrating, or what they post on the internet. "The dangers of overreach are too obvious," University of Bath political violence specialist Professor Brad Evans said.
While Trump and his supporters characterize Antifa as a constant menace, several independent analyses have demonstrated that right-wing extremism has long represented more political violence in America than activism on the left side of politics. Nevertheless, Trump's focus on Antifa seems part of a larger attempt to amplify control of what he terms the "radical left."
With the 2026 election cycle on the horizon, Antifa is once again a lightning rod in American political debate, viewed depending on perspective either as a force resisting fascism or as a symbol of lawless extremism.
Antifa is a loose, decentralized group of anti-far-right, anti-fascist, and anti-racist activists. It was originally used during the 1930s in Germany and again came back into the limelight in the U.S. after Trump's election of 2016 and Charlottesville's 2017 white nationalist riot.
The movement is often most closely linked to anarchists, socialists, and other politically far-left groups typically holding anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian, and liberal beliefs. The vast majority of Antifa-associated activists are also engaged in the defense of LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and racial justice. Instead of being organized under the chain of command of a centralized leadership or formal membership, local cells and individual activists act independently, typically both online and offline.
Trump himself has been an outspoken critic of Antifa, faulting it for initiating violent confrontations during protests and characterizing it as a domestic threat. Supporters of this position cite instances of property destruction, brawling on the streets, and so-called "doxxing" campaigns, wherein Antifa protesters broadcast people's personal information whom they label as fascists or white supremacists. While most Antifa supporters believe their actions are an imperative measure of defense against the marginalized, critics of the movement believe that it promotes and fosters violence politically.
Confrontations involving Antifa and right-wing factions such as the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer have continuously escalated into violence in Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California. Antifa demonstrators also frequently dress in black and masks, a strategy referred to as "black bloc," in order to conceal their identities and appear as one group.
In spite of what Trump said, legal scholars have clarified that he has limited leeway in calling a domestic group a terrorist organization. Foreign entities alone can be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the State Department under existing U.S. law. Legal scholars say that taking such a move to deputize a domestic ideology — and most notably one as amorphous as Antifa — as terrorism would encounter serious constitutional challenges.
Luke Baumgartner, a fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, noted that Trump’s declaration is largely symbolic without action from Congress or changes to existing law. “There is no legal mechanism I’m aware of that would formally establish any group as a domestic terror organization,” he said.
Experts further caution that cracking down on a spreading ideological movement such as Antifa may presage government overreach. Lacking formal leadership or membership, people might be brought up on charges of belonging based on their appearance, demonstrating, or what they post on the internet. "The dangers of overreach are too obvious," University of Bath political violence specialist Professor Brad Evans said.
While Trump and his supporters characterize Antifa as a constant menace, several independent analyses have demonstrated that right-wing extremism has long represented more political violence in America than activism on the left side of politics. Nevertheless, Trump's focus on Antifa seems part of a larger attempt to amplify control of what he terms the "radical left."
With the 2026 election cycle on the horizon, Antifa is once again a lightning rod in American political debate, viewed depending on perspective either as a force resisting fascism or as a symbol of lawless extremism.