Section 1. Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence. Heinous assassinations and other acts of political violence in the United States have dramatically increased in recent years. Even in the aftermath of the horrifying assassination of Charlie Kirk, some individuals who adhered to the alleged shooter’s ideology embraced and cheered this evil murder while actively encouraging more political violence.
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The memorandum cites concerns over political violence stemming from "sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence designed to silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society", making specific references to the two assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during 2025 protests in Los Angeles and Portland, "anti-police and 'criminal justice'" riots that "have left many people dead and injured and inflicted over $2 billion in property damage nationwide".[1]
This political violence is not a series of isolated incidents and does not emerge organically. Instead, it is a culmination of sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence designed to silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society. A new law enforcement strategy that investigates all participants in these criminal and terroristic conspiracies — including the organized structures, networks, entities, organizations, funding sources, and predicate actions behind them — is required.
There are common recurrent motivations and indicia uniting this pattern of violent and terroristic activities under the umbrella of self-described “anti-fascism.” These movements portray foundational American principles (e.g., support for law enforcement and border control) as “fascist” to justify and encourage acts of violent revolution. This “anti-fascist” lie has become the organizing rallying cry used by domestic terrorists to wage a violent assault against democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental American liberties. Common threads animating this violent conduct include anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality. As described in the Order of September 22, 2025 (Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization), the groups and entities that perpetuate this extremism have created a movement that embraces and elevates violence to achieve policy outcomes, including justifying additional assassinations. For example, Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin engraved the bullets used in the murder with so-called “anti-fascist” rhetoric.
The United States requires a national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence so that law enforcement can intervene in criminal conspiracies before they result in violent political acts. Through this comprehensive strategy, law enforcement will disband and uproot networks, entities, and organizations that promote organized violence, violent intimidation, conspiracies against rights, and other efforts to disrupt the functioning of a democratic society.
NSPM-7 instructs the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to "coordinate and supervise a comprehensive national strategy to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in acts of political violence and intimidation designed to suppress lawful political activity or obstruct the rule of law", and investigate "all participants in these criminal and terroristic conspiracies—including the organized structures, networks, entities, organizations, funding sources, and predicate actions behind them".[1][5]
The United States Attorney General was instructed to prosecute federal crimes related to these investigations, and to "issue specific guidance that ensures domestic terrorism priorities include politically motivated terrorist acts" such as assault, civil disorder, destruction of property, organized doxing, looting, rioting, swatting, threats of violence, and tresspass. The Attorney General may also "recommend that any group or entity whose members are engaged in activities meeting the definition of 'domestic terrorism' in 18 U.S.C. 2331(5) merits designation as a 'domestic terrorist organization.'" The Treasury Secretary and Commissioner of Internal Revenue are instructed to disrupt the funding sources of organizations found to be involved in "political violence or domestic terrorism."[1][5][6]
Actions
The memorandum was subsequently cited in a September 29, 2025, memorandum by the United States Attorney General Pam Bondi titled "Ending Political Violence Against ICE [ Immigration and Customs Enforcement]".[7]
A November 2025 State Department press release states:[8]
The designation of Antifa Ost and other violent Antifa groups supports President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, an initiative to disrupt self-described “anti-fascism” networks, entities, and organizations that use political violence and terroristic acts to undermine democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental liberties.
A memo from the AG dated December 4, 2025 was leaked.[9]
Reactions
The Brennan Center for Justice found numerous flaws in an analysis of NSPM-7 along with a concomitant presidential order: "Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization".[10] The Brennan report concluded "both the order and the memo are ungrounded in fact and law."[11] Among the criticisms:
Regarding the legal basis, the Brennan report calls out "the failure to cite any statute or constitutional provision in support of the president’s action." The report authors state the president has no authority to declare domestic terrorist organizations, noting that the laws and Supreme Court decisions authorizing declaration of foreign terrorist organizations had ruled out domestic designations.[11]
Regarding the factual basis, the Brennan report notes that the "cherry-picked" incidents of violence were not coordinated campaigns of violence and intimidation, as the NSPM memo was constructed to address.[11]
Regarding the scope of the orders, the Brennan Center report says that the orders could target a broad range of disfavored groups and views, encompassing "everyone from labor organizers, socialists, many libertarians, those who criticize Christianity, pro-immigration groups, anti-ICE protestors, and racial justice and transgender activists, to anyone who holds views that the administration considers to be 'anti-American.'"[11]
On September 25, 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement condemning the directive, with ACLU's National Security Project director writing "Working from a fever dream of conspiracies, President Trump has launched yet another effort to investigate and intimidate his critics."[12]
On September 26, 2025, Human Rights Watch acting executive director Federico Borello issued a statement writing that "President Trump’s order mobilizing federal law enforcement to investigate perceived opponents of his administration turns reality on its head".[13] On the same day, the National Coalition Against Censorship characterized the directive as a "blueprint for law enforcement to cast a wide net in the name of terrorism and political violence, but it is unmistakable in targeting political opponents in its crosshairs".[14]
American journalist Ken Klippenstein reported on the memorandum, characterizing the directive as treating political dissent as a form of domestic terrorism.[15]
In a newsletter, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna described the memorandum as "one of his [Trump's] most dangerous power grabs yet".[16] Elsewhere Khanna stated "The goal is to silence people and groups by threatening retaliation."[5]
An open letter signed by over 3,000 NGO s opposed the directive.[17]
Over 31 members of the Congress wrote a letter raising concerns on constitution and civil liberties expressing that NSPM-7 could be used for crackdown on dissent.[19][20]
National security journalist Fred Kaplan wrote that Trump is "laying the groundwork for a police state" with NSPM-7, "[T]he clearest statement of Trump's intentions."[21]
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Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization at Wikisource 