What is antifa and why Trump has declared it a terrorist group

Trump declares antifa a threat

Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is not an organisation in the traditional sense. It has no membership list, website, or formal structure. Instead, it is a loose network of far-left activists who believe in confronting groups they view as fascist or authoritarian, sometimes using violence. Experts describe it as an ideology rather than a structured group, one that attracts individuals rather than operates like a club or party, the Financial Times reported.

The Trump administration’s designation

President Donald Trump has made antifa central to his political messaging, portraying it as a serious domestic terror threat. In an executive order, his administration claimed the movement was a “militarist, anarchist enterprise” that seeks to overthrow the U.S. government and its law enforcement authorities. Trump has often linked antifa to protests, whether after the 2020 killing of George Floyd, more recent immigration demonstrations, or unrest in Democratic-led cities. For the president, calling antifa terrorism signals toughness and draws a clear line against his critics.

What the data shows

Research into extremist violence in the United States suggests a different picture. Over the past three decades, rightwing extremists have carried out far more attacks than the far left. Between 1994 and mid-2025, there were 495 rightwing incidents compared with 68 leftwing ones, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But this year has seen a shift: five leftwing attacks and only one rightwing case, marking the first time in more than 30 years that the left has outnumbered the right. Even so, terrorism experts stress that antifa is only a minor part of this trend, and most acts of violence are carried out by individuals rather than groups.

Limits of the designation

Trump’s order raises questions about how the U.S. can apply terrorism laws. Unlike foreign organisations such as al-Qaeda, domestic groups cannot legally be designated as terrorist organisations under U.S. law. There is no mechanism for banning them, and constitutional protections for free speech and assembly act as safeguards. Law enforcement already has tools to investigate and prosecute extremist violence without such a label. This means the “terrorist” designation for Antifa is largely symbolic, more a political statement than a legal shift.

The politics of Antifa

Critics argue that focusing on Antifa serves a political purpose: to frame opposition as dangerous and to divert attention from rightwing extremism, which has been historically more lethal. Supporters of Trump’s move see it as a necessary step to tackle disorder in American cities. The reality is that antifa remains an amorphous movement, difficult to measure and even harder to dismantle. For citizens, the debate reflects not only concerns about public safety but also the clash of narratives in America’s polarised politics.