US President Donald Trump has stated that he will officially recognize Antifa as a "major terrorist organization," as the White House begins to fulfill its promise to investigate what it calls "left-wing extremism" after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
The US President had previously expressed his intention to include Antifa in the list of domestic terrorist organizations if recommended by law enforcement agencies in his administration.
I also strongly recommend a thorough investigation into the activities of those who finance Antifa, in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, who filled in for Kirk on his show this week, confirmed that authorities are preparing to act against the movement.
The US "is going to go after the network of non-governmental organizations that are inciting, facilitating, and engaging in violence," Vance said.
The Bloomberg article states that Antifa (short for "anti-fascist") is a general term for a disparate community of far-left groups.
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Former FBI Director Christopher Wray noted back in 2020 that "Antifa is an ideology, not an organization." A similar conclusion was contained in a report by the Congressional Research Service, which emphasized that the movement "does not have a unifying organizational structure or detailed ideology."
During Trump's first term, the FBI, as stated, said that Antifa was the subject of ongoing domestic terrorism investigations for acts of violence, but refused to classify it as a "domestic terrorist organization," according to the Congressional Research Service report.
But Trump wants to use legislative tools to resolve this issue. According to him, he spoke with US Attorney General Pam Bondi about using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which allows prosecuting criminal groups, to investigate individuals who financed left-wing protest movements.
He has taken similar steps before – in particular, by designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations to justify strikes against drug traffickers in international waters.
So far, law enforcement has not established a direct link between Kirk's murder and any political groups. Utah Governor Spencer Cox noted that the suspect had a "left-wing ideology" but called on political leaders to de-escalate tensions.
Recall
On Wednesday, September 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk died after an assassination attempt. The founder of Turning Point USA was wounded during a speech at Utah Valley University. Shots were fired from a nearby building.
On September 16, Tyler Robinson was officially charged with aggravated murder of political activist Charlie Kirk. The Utah prosecutor will seek the death penalty.