White House says Trump could sign order designating Antifa a terrorist organization as soon as Monday

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump intends to designate the anti-fascism movement Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization as soon as Monday, a move that would be one of the first major steps in his promised crackdown on left-leaning political entities, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

“Antifa is going to be designated a domestic terrorist organization,” Leavitt told reporters at a Monday press briefing. “The president intends to sign an executive order very soon.”

“As soon as today,” she added.

The president announced last week he would designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, part of his planned crackdown on left-wing groups following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Antifa lacks centralized structure or defined leadership, making it unclear who or what precisely would be targeted. Leavitt telegraphed at Monday’s briefing that the order would be one of multiple moves, as she railed against Democrats and Trump’s political foes.

“Many Democrats in elective office have now been totally captured by a radical fringe of the far left face who want to dehumanize every person they disagree with,” Leavitt said, pointing to Democratic lawmakers who voted against a resolution honoring Kirk. “We must continue to call this wickedness out. It’s the only way that our nation can heal.”

Leavitt also defended Trump’s assertion at Kirk’s funeral that he hates his political opponents. The comments put him at odds with Kirk and his widow, Erika Kirk, who said she forgave her husband’s killer and called for people to fight hate with love.

“The president is authentically himself,” Leavitt said Monday.

The practical effect of an order designating Antifa a terrorist group remained far from clear. Trump similarly vowed to designate Antifa a terrorist organization in his first term, and legal analysts said the move would likely face constitutional challenges.

The term Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is used to define a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left — often the far left — but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform. Unlike militant far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, Antifa has never had a leader, nor is there a hierarchy or a command structure.

While some local groups are well-organized, Antifa’s lack of a national structure would make it hard for the administration to go after leaders or funding sources. And while it is illegal to provide “material support” to groups designated by the government as foreign terrorist organizations, there is not an analogous law for domestic groups.

“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump posted on social media last week. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices!”

Leavitt noted that bullets recovered in the investigation of Kirk’s shooting were engraved with anti-fascist messages — one read, “Hey Facist! Catch!” — and she ticked through series of violent crimes she said had been “perpetuated by Antifa, radical people across this country who subscribe to this group.”

“We will be most importantly looking at who is funding Antifa and who is funding these other violent left-wing groups,” she added.

The term “antifa” has roots in anti-fascist movements that opposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini during World War II and that opposed White supremacist or skinhead groups throughout Europe during the Cold War.

Trump’s announcement that he would designate it as a terror group has raised fears that the president may be stretching the bounds of his authority to stifle any large-scale left-wing dissent. Trump has similarly suggested that those from the activist group Code Pink who protested the president during his recent visit to a Washington, DC, restaurant, should be charged with crimes.

CNN’s Michael Williams contributed to this report.

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