U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating the Antifa movement as a "domestic terrorist organization." The White House announced this in an official statement. According to the administration, Antifa is a "militant and anarchist group that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States government, law enforcement agencies, and the entire legal system."

The statement further states: "To achieve these goals, Antifa uses illegal means to organize and carry out a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide." According to the document, this campaign includes armed clashes with police, organized riots, attacks on immigration and customs officials, as well as the publication of personal information about politicians and activists in order to intimidate them.

The executive order also states: "Due to the repeated pattern of political violence, aimed at suppressing legitimate political activity and undermining the rule of law, I hereby designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization." Trump has instructed all executive agencies to use all available powers to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the activities of Antifa, as well as individuals who act on its behalf or provide it with material support.

The decision came shortly after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, which the White House cited as one of the reasons for taking a tougher stance against radical left-wing groups. President Trump had previously announced that he intended to "outlaw left-wing extremists."

Criticism from Experts and Lawyers

Legal experts point out that the United States has not previously had a mechanism for formally designating domestic groups as terrorist organizations. A similar list exists only for foreign entities. Critics describe the move as more of a political gesture than a legally enforceable act, because Antifa is not a centralized organization with official leadership or membership. They say it is more of a loose network of activists and an ideology than a structured entity to which the legal framework designed for foreign terrorist groups could be applied.

International Reaction

The decision by Washington has not gone unnoticed. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó sent a letter to the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, urging the European Union to also designate Antifa as a terrorist organization. Budapest also announced that it is considering its own legal measures against the movement. However, other European countries and institutions have so far reacted cautiously.

An Uncertain Future

The impact of Trump's executive order remains unclear. Instructions to government agencies could lead to increased surveillance and prosecution of individuals associated with violent acts, but it is likely to also trigger legal challenges regarding the constitutionality of the entire measure. A key question is its compliance with the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and assembly.

According to legal analysts, the decision is a historical precedent: the United States has never before designated a domestic movement as a terrorist organization. How the order will be enforced remains to be seen—and it is expected to be the subject of intense political debate and legal challenges.

gnews.cz - GH