Donald Trump’s executive order calling “Antifa” a “domestic terrorist organization” has sparked warnings from First Amendment experts and civil rights groups that the president is using the label as a cudgel against left-wing opposition.
The president’s order — following his ongoing false claims that left-wing groups are solely responsible for political violence in the United States as he launches a broader campaign against his opponents and media outlets — singles out an antifascist movement and the people who financially support it. There is no “domestic terrorist organization” designation under U.S. law, and “Antifa” is not a specific organization but a term that encompasses a wider ideologically driven movement against fascism. It’s not clear what legal weight, if any, the order will have.
