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President Trump stated Thursday morning that he intends to label antifa as a “key radical entity”.

Understanding Is the Antifa Movement?

The antifa movement, an abbreviation for “anti-fascists,” encompasses a broad designation for far-left-leaning activist groups. Rather than being a unified entity, but comprises multiple groups that oppose far-right extremists, notably during public demonstrations.

Procedural and Governmental Hurdles

Currently, it is uncertain how the federal government could formally designate what is primarily a fragmented ideological wave as a extremist group. The White House has not yet provided specifics on Wednesday.

Antifa is a American presence and, accordingly, cannot be included for the State Department’s registry of overseas terrorist networks. This registry features dozens of entities, including Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Currently, the US lacks a domestic equivalent in part because sweeping free speech safeguards enjoyed by organizations based in the US. In spite of repeated demands, notably following deadly attacks perpetrated by racial extremists, to establish a homegrown terror statute, no specific law is in place.

The President’s Statements

Donald Trump, at the time on a diplomatic tour to the United Kingdom, issued the statement via a digital update just prior to the middle of the night Thursday local time. He called antifa as a “DANGEROUS, EXTREMIST, LEFT-WING CATASTROPHE”. He also stated that he will be “firmly advising” that backers of antifa be probed.

While speaking with reporters in the White House earlier this week, Trump noted that he would move toward a domestic terrorism designation for antifa provided that such a move had the backing of the AG and officials within his team.

“That is something I would do, indeed,” the president stated. “I support that completely. Antifa is a problem.”

Legislative Responses

That evening, a Republican senator, applauded the president’s announcement, stating: “The movement took advantage of a wave of rightful complaints to encourage violence and anarchy, hindering justice for all. The President is right to address the harmful influence of antifa by labeling them as national security threats.”

Two years ago, Cassidy and Ted Cruz introduced a measure in the upper chamber to denounce the destructive actions of antifa and to designate the collective a homegrown extremist entity.

Previous Background

During the previous year, in the midst of the national demonstrations, Trump also proposed the concept of designating antifa as a radical network.

Trump’s former head of the FBI, Director Wray, said in testimony that the antifa movement is an set of beliefs, not a formal entity, missing the centralized framework that would normally allow it to be designated as a extremist organization by the federal government.