Trump Signs Memo to Root Out 'Left-Wing Terrorism'

14 HOURS AGO·UPDATED 11 HOURS AGO

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Above: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a press conference Sept.18, 2025. Image copyright: Leon Neal/Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

Trump's orders are overdue. Antifa and other leftist groups operate like ISIS with organized cells, trained operatives and coordinated attacks that have already claimed lives. The time for talk is over — these well-funded terrorist organizations need their financing networks destroyed and their members hauled off the streets before more Americans die.

FOX News Federalist

Democratic narrative

Not only are Trump's orders legally dubious, but they will also lead to an unprecedented assault on civil society and constitutional freedoms. Targeting peaceful nonprofits — including Soros' Open Society Foundations — without evidence equates to a witch hunt that weaponizes federal agencies to silence dissent. Anti-fascism isn't terrorism — it's the same democratic principle that defeated fascism in World War II.

Johnmenadue Democracy Docket

Cynical narrative

This memorandum dangerously narrows the focus of political violence, ignoring well-documented threats from right-wing extremists. By framing the issue in purely partisan terms, it undermines an honest national conversation about domestic terrorism. A balanced policy must acknowledge that violence is not the sole domain of any one ideology.

Reuters