Trump Designates Antifa “A Terrorist Organization”

In what should not come as a surprise to many (especially those with open minds and open eyes), President Trump has tweeted that he is designating Antifa a terrorist organization.

The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020

Trump added:

The Lamestream Media is doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy. As long as everybody understands what they are doing, that they are FAKE NEWS and truly bad people with a sick agenda, we can easily work through them to GREATNESS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020

This decision comes almost a year after he first tweeted that he was considering labeling the militant, black-clad, mask-wearing ‘anti-fascist’ group as a terrorist organization.

“Consideration is being given to declaring ANTIFA, the gutless Radical Left Wack Jobs who go around hitting (only non-fighters) people over the heads with baseball bats, a major Organization of Terror (along with MS-13 & others),” tweeted Trump, adding “Would make it easier for police to do their job!”

Consideration is being given to declaring ANTIFA, the gutless Radical Left Wack Jobs who go around hitting (only non-fighters) people over the heads with baseball bats, a major Organization of Terror (along with MS-13 & others). Would make it easier for police to do their job!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019

And As Politico pointed out in September 2017, previously unreported FBI and Department of Homeland Security studies found that “anarchist extremist” group like Antifa have been the “primary instigators of violence at public rallies” going back to at least April 2016 when the reports were first published.

The question is what does this mean in terms of response. Deadly force allowed?

One thing is certain:

Trump’s new order means a whole lot of Democrats have been donating money to a terrorist group

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) May 31, 2020

And, as Jordan Rachel (@TheJordanRachel) asks: “Why is the Attorney General of Minnesota holding a terrorist handbook! “

Somehow, we suspect this will not ease the tensions.

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By way of background, we remind readers that Antifa has gained notoriety since the 2016 election for instigating violent confrontations with conservatives – most recently journalist Andy Ngo, who was beaten and robbed by members of Portland’s Antifa cell, sending him to the hospital. 

In July, 2018, the same Portland groupl, Rose City Antifa, planned a “direct confontation” with participants at a pro-Trump rally – “calling for militant antifascist resistance against Patriot Prayer,” according to a call to action on the leftist website, “It’s Going Down.“

The previous month, a clash between the groups ended up in a viral video of an Antifa member using an object to assault conservative Ethan Michael Nordean, also known as Rufio – who subsequently knocked out the ‘terrorist’ (or so he would be classified under the new declaration). 

Last week, GOP Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a bill to classify Antifa as domestic terrorists – defining it as “a movement that intentionally combines violence with the group’s alt-left positions,” and “represents opposition to the democratic ideals of peaceful assembly and free speech for all.” 

As noted by The Blaze, however, labeling Antifa as “Domestic Terrorists” may also require an entirely new law. 

federal law does not have the same clear-cut designation for domestic terrorism organizations that it does for foreign terror organizations (FTOs), explained Andy McCarthy in a 2017 column at National Review. 

“There are federal-law processes for designating foreign and international terrorism because defending against foreign threats to national security is primarily a federal responsibility,” McCarthy explained, because foreign operatives have fewer civil rights protections than American citizens and that the best weapon against domestic terror is local law enforcement, not federal. –The Blaze

Why is the left so violent?