(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump declared Antifa a terrorist organization on Wednesday, describing them as a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster;” however, it’s unclear at this time if or how the president will make the designation official, and what it all means for the group.
The Anti-Defamation League, a group that fights “all forms of antisemitism and bias,” defines Antifa as a “decentralized, leaderless movement composed of loose collections of groups, networks and individuals.”
Awareness of the movement, whose name stands for “anti-fascist,” spread in 2020, when its members were active in Black Lives Matter protests, riots, looting and clashes with police.
Domestic terrorism is defined in federal law as criminal acts occurring in the U.S. that either threaten human life, are intended to coerce or intimidate civilians or to influence government policy or action. But, domestic terrorism on its own is not a criminally chargeable offense.
Congress has considered the possibility of new domestic terrorism laws, but concerns over constitutional rights have seemingly prevented lawmakers from doing so.
“Any congressional consideration of additional legislation in the area of domestic terrorism—such as a criminal statute expressly prohibiting acts of domestic terror—would necessarily involve a broader discussion of potential policy concerns and constitutional constraints,” reads a report by the Congressional Research Service.
“Legislation seeking to address domestic terrorism also may implicate certain constitutional considerations, such as First Amendment protections of speech and association, Fourth Amendment restrictions on government searches, and broader federalism-based restraints on federal jurisdiction in general,” the authors added.
In his Wednesday post on Truth Social, in addition to the terrorist designation, Trump implied that any groups financially supporting Antifa could expect federal scrutiny.
“I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices,” he wrote.
In a response to a question from The Center Square regarding Antifa, the president mentioned going after the group through the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, a federal statute that was critical to the FBI’s takedown of the American mafia. It allowed prosecutors to hold mob bosses and other leaders accountable for crimes they directed lower-level members to commit.
“I’ve asked Pam [Bondi] to look into that in terms of bringing RICO cases… criminal RICO,” Trump said, “because what they’re doing to this country is really subversive.”
However, many have noted that it may be difficult to do since RICO was created for organized crime, and Antifa is allegedly leaderless.
“I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices,” he wrote.
Cut the head off and the snake will die.
“Cut the head off and the snake will die.”
This is true but the treasonous, destructive, immoral, unethical, lying, hateful Democrat Party has many heads.
When Democrats elect Godless, dishonest, immoral, hateful self-righteous, self-serving political representatives like the corrupt, puppet Joe OBiden, Tinkerbell Barack PinocchiObama, the hateful self-righteous Nancy Pelosi, racist Maxine Waters, Liar Adam Schiff, destructive Chuck Schumer, useless Kamala Harris, Radical Bimbo Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hateful Muslims Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib, forked tongue Elizabeth Warren, the corrupt Hil-Liar-y Clinton and Ayanna Pressley who intentionally pit one group against another to divide the country and cultivate hate and distrust, you got to ask yourself; what are the motives of these type people? To lead the country into prosperity OR to gain control, stay in power any way possible and to dominate the citizens? No matter the costs to the people, the government, or the nation.
IT may have been true in the past, but now days i do not think just cutting off the head, will END antifa..
Not as long as our education system churns out a steady river of useful idiots.
Exactamundo..
Unfortunately, we’re not dealing with snakes anymore.
It has gotten so out of hand giving these organizations like Antifa and BLM hands off from the Law by Dems in charge, they have become more like hydras: Cut off one head, three more appear.
The ultimate challenge is to stab them in the heart and cut off the blood flowing to the rest of the body.
But when you have the Dems acting as shields and armor, giving them preferred treatment socially and legally…Pelosi once publicly declared Antifa as their grassroots ground troops…killing the beast is going to be that much harder.
Not impossible, but definitely more difficult.
That’s why we need to go after their FINANCIAL BACKERS!