President Trump convened a roundtable with administration officials and conservative figures on Wednesday to discuss efforts to address left-wing groups, especially the anti-fascist movement called Antifa.
The meeting comes as the administration pushes for direct intervention in cities like Chicago and Portland, Oregon, even as local leaders express opposition. Trump accused Antifa of actively engaging in violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“All Americans should recognize that there’s a serious left-wing terrorist threat to our nation,” Trump remarked. “We’ve heard a lot about extremists linked to the domestic terrorist organization Antifa over the past decade.”
The White House invited several conservative voices who echoed the administration’s claims that leftist groups are responsible for disorder. They criticized the media for what they perceive as insufficient coverage of Antifa’s actions.
Attendees included Nick Souter, who was arrested outside an ICE facility in Portland just last week and later released. Other guests were conservative journalist Andy Ngo, commentator Jack Posobiec, and Brandi Kruse, a former reporter known for her coverage of Antifa in Portland.
“I hope that after three and a half years, things will return to normal,” Kruse expressed regarding Antifa.
Republicans have blamed Antifa for unrest in major cities following the 2020 death of George Floyd, although the term has come to apply more broadly to various leftist protesters who engage in vandalism and violence.
The White House has recently pointed fingers at Antifa for demonstrations near an ICE facility in Portland and immigration protests in Chicago. The Trump administration plans to deploy the National Guard to both locations, yet state and local leaders are suing to prevent this action.
Last month, Trump signed an order labeling Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, reinforcing his commitment to counter leftist movements after the incident involving Charlie Kirk.
This order grants federal agencies extensive power to investigate any activities linked to Antifa or where its members provided “material support.”
Experts caution that Antifa operates as a decentralized ideology without defined leadership, raising fears that such authority might be used to conduct a broader crackdown on various left-wing groups.
