Trump Signs Order Designating Antifa Domestic Terrorist Group

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday formally designating the antifascist movement known as antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, directing federal agencies to investigate, disrupt and dismantle what the White House called an organized campaign of political violence. The move, announced on the president's social media post and followed by a formal order, comes amid heightened political tensions after the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and pledges by the administration to pursue those it says finance or coordinate leftwing violence.

The executive order describes antifa as a "militarist, anarchist enterprise" that uses illegal means, including riots, assaults on law enforcement and doxxing, to intimidate political opponents and obstruct enforcement of federal laws. It instructs all relevant departments and agencies to use "all applicable authorities" to investigate and prosecute illegal operations and those who provide material support. White House officials and aides, including the deputy chief of staff for policy, vowed that the administration would pursue the designation aggressively.