Trump, who is on a state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement in a social media post.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he has planned to designate Antifa, short for “anti-fascists”, as a “major terrorist organization”. Trump announced the move to designate the far-left anti-fascism movement on his Truth Social platform.
Antifa, which is considered as an umbrella term, deals with the far-left leaning militant groups and it is not a singular entity. Antifa consists of multiple groups which restricts fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at protest sites and demonstrations.
However, Trump’s post labelling Antifa as a terrorist organisation didn’t clarify what mechanism would the administration use to make Antifa a terror group as it is a decentralized movement, and the White House didn’t offer further details on it.
Trump, who is currently on his second state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement on Thursday in a post where he wrote, “I am pleased to inform our many USA Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
The US president further added, “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.”
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Former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump during his first tenure, had said in a testimony in 2020 that Antifa is not an organisation rather it is an ideology. Wray had said that Antifa lacks the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror organisation by the federal government.
After Trump’s post, US Senator Bill Cassidy praised the announcement, saying, “Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The President is right to recognize the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists.”
In July 2019, Cassidy and Senator Ted Cruz had introduced a resolution in the Senate to condemn the violent acts of Antifa and designate the group as a terror organisation.
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Trump, who is on a state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement in a social media post. 
