In a bold announcement on September 17, 2025, President Donald Trump declared his intent to designate Antifa as a "major terrorist organization" via Truth Social, vowing to investigate its backers under the strictest legal standards. This move comes amid escalating calls for action following the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week, allegedly at the hands of Tyler Robinson, a suspect described by authorities as steeped in Leftist ideology. Antifa, short for "anti-fascist," has long operated as a shadowy, decentralised network known for violent clashes with law enforcement and instigating riots at protests. While the group lacks a formal leadership structure, its actions have terrorised communities and undermined public safety. Trump is unequivocally right to pursue this classification, a step he should have taken during his first term but hesitated on due to political pressures and a perceived weakness in confronting the radical Left. I will examine the rationale behind this decision, Antifa's documented history of violence, and why earlier action was warranted.
Antifa's self-proclaimed mission to combat fascism has devolved into a pretext for anarchy. Emerging from the punk subculture of the 1980s and gaining prominence during the 2017 Charlottesville rally, the group has been implicated in numerous acts of domestic terrorism. Members, often masked in black bloc attire, have engaged in arson, vandalism, and assaults across the United States. For instance, during the 2020 George Floyd protests, Antifa-affiliated individuals were linked to the burning of Minneapolis's Third Precinct police station and widespread looting in cities like Portland and Seattle. The FBI has repeatedly warned of Antifa's role in escalating peaceful demonstrations into riots, with tactics including Molotov cocktails, improvised explosives, and coordinated attacks on federal buildings.
The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk underscores the deadly escalation. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was a vocal critic of Leftist extremism, and his killer's ideological ties highlight how Antifa's rhetoric, framing conservatives as fascists worthy of confrontation, can inspire lethal violence. This isn't isolated; Antifa has targeted journalists, politicians, and ordinary citizens, creating an atmosphere of fear. Designating it as a terrorist organisation would equip law enforcement with tools to dismantle its networks, freeze assets, and prosecute members under anti-terrorism laws, much like the designations applied to ISIS or al-Qaeda affiliates. Trump's announcement signals a necessary crackdown on this "sick, dangerous, radical left disaster," as he aptly described it.
Classifying Antifa aligns with established U.S. law. The Patriot Act and subsequent legislation allow the president to designate domestic groups as terrorist organisations if they engage in ideologically motivated violence that endangers lives or property. Antifa fits this bill: it's not a monolithic entity but a loose coalition of autonomous cells, which ironically makes it more insidious, evading traditional oversight. By targeting funders, potentially including progressive NGOs, wealthy donors, or even foreign influences, Trump's push could expose the financial pipelines sustaining this chaos, similar to investigations into backers of other extremist groups.
Critics may argue that Antifa is merely a protest movement, but evidence from congressional hearings, such as the 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee sessions, reveals a pattern of premeditated violence. The group's opposition to law enforcement, often chanting "ACAB" (All Cops Are B**tards), has led to ambushes on officers, resulting in injuries and deaths. In Portland alone, over 100 nights of riots in 2020-2021 involved Antifa, costing millions in damages. Trump's 100% endorsement earlier this week reflects a strategic pivot: with public outrage peaking after Kirk's murder, this designation could rally his base and pressure Democrats to address Left-wing extremism, which they've often downplayed as "mostly peaceful" protests.
During his 2017-2021 presidency, Trump repeatedly signalled support for labelling Antifa a terrorist group, especially after the Charlottesville violence and amid 2020's unrest. In May 2020, Attorney General Bill Barr identified Antifa as a key domestic threat, and Trump tweeted about invoking the Insurrection Act. Yet, no formal designation followed. Why? Political calculus and institutional resistance played a role. The Democrat-controlled House and media allies portrayed such a move as an authoritarian overreach, equating Antifa's actions with legitimate free speech. Trump's administration, focused on economic wins and foreign policy, avoided the bureaucratic quagmire of domestic designations, fearing endless legal challenges from groups like the ACLU.
This hesitation revealed a weakness in Trump's first term: while rhetorically tough, he shied away from fully weaponising executive authority against domestic foes. Advisors cautioned that designating a decentralised, ideology-based movement could set precedents for abusing power, and without clear leadership to prosecute, it risked being symbolic. The result? Antifa flourished, organising "autonomous zones" like Seattle's CHOP, where violence reigned unchecked. Had Trump acted decisively, perhaps by executive order mirroring the foreign terrorist designations, he could have curbed the 2020 riots' intensity, saved lives, and prevented the emboldening of extremists. Now, in his second term, with a stronger mandate and amid fresh atrocities like Kirk's killing, Trump has the resolve to rectify this oversight.
President Trump's decision to classify Antifa as a major terrorist organisation is not just right, it's imperative for US security. The group's violent history, from riot instigation to ideological assassinations, demands accountability. By investigating its backers and deploying anti-terror resources, this move could restore order and deter future threats. Trump should have seized this in his first term, but the political timidity of that era allowed the cancer to metastasise. It's time to treat Antifa not as protesters, but as terrorists — because that's precisely what they are. And, it needs to be done in Australia too, but good luck with that one with our hard Left Labor government!