US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed ‘very threatening’ measures against Antifa and called on right-wing media allies to help identify supporters of the movement, which he has urged the federal government to classify as a “terrorist organization.”“They have been very threatening to people, but we’re going to be very threatening to them, far more threatening to them than they ever were with us, and that includes the people that fund them,” Trump told reporters at the White House, as cited by Reuters.Trump asked attendees at Wednesday’s event to identify groups they believe are responsible for violence, along with their financial backers. Among the guests were right-wing social media figures Jack Posobiec, Savannah Hernandez, and Andy Ngo.Trump, joined by cabinet members including Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, stated they would review the groups mentioned and gather additional information as necessary. Antifa, short for anti-fascist, traces its roots to European resistance movements against fascism in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It is a decentralized movement without formal leadership, membership lists, or a central organization. Its adherents oppose fascism, racism, xenophobia, and authoritarianism, with many also critical of capitalism and state institutions such as the police, according to the US Congressional Research Service.Almost a month after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Trump has threatened measures targeting left-wing groups and donors, despite no established connection to the killing.Trump previously vowed to take action against Antifa during his 2017–2021 presidency and labeled the group a “terrorist organization” in a September executive order. Since then, US law enforcement has not identified any Antifa members, funding sources, or filed related criminal charges.Trump has also ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, citing threats to federal officials, following earlier deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, DC. He has announced plans to send troops to Memphis as well. The orders, currently under judicial review, have been challenged by Democratic mayors and governors who argue that Trump’s claims of widespread lawlessness are unfounded. Trump has additionally threatened to invoke an anti-insurrection law, last used during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, to bypass potential court rulings against him.
