Trump escalates crackdown by designating ‘Antifa’ a domestic terror group

The Trump administration has escalated its crackdown on perceived left-wing threats following the death of Charlie Kirk. President Trump has signed an executive order titled "Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization," directing federal agencies to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any illegal operations conducted by Antifa or anyone claiming to act on its behalf. The impact of the order is unclear, as experts have noted that "domestic terrorism" is not recognized or sanctioned in the same way as foreign terror groups. Additionally, Antifa is an unstructured anti-fascist movement, and former FBI Director Christopher Wray has stated that Antifa is not an organization, but a "movement or ideology." The order claims that Antifa is a "militarist, anarchist enterprise" that calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government and has engaged in various unlawful activities. This order comes amid a broader campaign by Republican commentators, politicians, and public officials calling for civil liberties crackdowns targeting speech and donations to liberal political causes.