Trump Gives Antifa Confusing New Designation

During Trump’s first term, Mary McCord, a former senior official at the Department of Justice, told Al Jazeera there was no procedure for “designating domestic organisations as terrorist organisations,” and Trump’s efforts raised “significant First Amendment concerns.”

It’s worth noting that while counterprotesters acting under the antifa banner have sometimes turned violent, the actual rate of political violence motivated by left-wing ideologies is dwarfed by right-wing violence. Between 1975 and September 2025, individuals motivated by right-wing ideologies such white supremacy, involuntary celibacy, and anti-abortion beliefs committed 391 murders, according to the Cato Institute. Comparatively, people motivated by left-wing ideologies were responsible for 65 deaths.

It seems Trump’s latest effort is a reactionary move following the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, which elicited condemnations of left-wing violence before the shooter’s identity was even known. Earlier this week, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said that the administration planned to “channel all of the anger that we have over the organised campaign that led to this assassination, to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks.”