WASHINGTON

The announcement came during a White House roundtable with independent journalists, where Trump consulted with senior cabinet officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and FBI Director Kash Patel.

When asked by The Center Square whether he would expand Antifa’s classification to include foreign terrorist organization status, Trump initially believed the designation had already been made. After conferring with officials in the room, the president directed Rubio to proceed with the designation.

Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller supported the move, citing the group’s international connections.

Key Officials Involved

Targeting Financial Networks

Attorney General Bondi outlined an aggressive enforcement strategy that would extend beyond arresting street-level operatives to dismantling the organization’s financial infrastructure.

Bondi compared the approach to strategies used against drug trafficking organizations, promising to “destroy the entire organization from top to bottom” by pursuing both violent actors and their financial backers.

Rising Violence Prompts Action

The designation follows a recent surge in violent protests targeting immigration enforcement facilities and personnel in cities including Portland and Chicago. At Wednesday’s roundtable, more than a dozen journalists shared accounts of physical assaults and life-threatening encounters with Antifa members, particularly in the Pacific Northwest where the group has been especially active.

This marks the second time in a month that Trump has expanded federal action against Antifa. In response to a question from The Center Square during an Oval Office session last month, the president agreed to designate Antifa as a domestic terror organization—a designation that was formalized one week later.

The foreign terrorist organization classification would give federal law enforcement additional tools to investigate and prosecute individuals connected to Antifa’s operations, including the ability to target international financing networks.