DONALD Trump has vowed to designate Antifa a “major terrorist organisation” a week on from the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The US President described the group as a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster” as he ranted on Truth Social while on a state visit to the UK.
Donald Trump has vowed to designate Antifa a ‘major terrorist organisation’[/caption]
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10 by a suspected killer with anti-fascist views[/caption]
One of the main reasons for Trump’s firm condemnation of the anti-fascist group is the murder of his friend and political activist Charlie Kirk.
The MAGA ally was shot dead by a sniper as he held an event at a university campus in Utah.
Investigators believe the suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, 22, held similar views to Antifa after an engraving on one of his bullets read: “Hey fascist, catch.”
Authorities have labelled Kirk’s tragic death a political assassination.
Trump announced his plans to label Antifa a terror group on Truth Social late on Wednesday.
He wrote: “I am pleased to inform our many USA Patriots that I am designating Antifa, a sick, dangerous, radical left disaster, as a major terrorist organization.
“I will also be strongly recommending that those funding Antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.”
Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a political group which has gained traction in the US in recent years and caught the eye of Trump in the past.
During his first stint in the White House he mentioned making Antifa a terror group after protests erupted across the US in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
He was quickly put off the idea by his former FBI director Christopher Wray who said Antifa are an ideology rather than an organised group.
There is no unifying body for the anti-fascist movement or a leader in charge of the members.
This would make designating them as a terrorist group tricky to police.
