The Just Security Podcast Examining the Trump Administration’s New Antifa Designations
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Nov 17, 2025 Tom Brzozowski, a former counsel for Domestic Terrorism at the U.S. Department of Justice, brings his expertise to a critical discussion on the Trump administration's new Antifa designations. They explore the chilling effects of vague definitions on free speech and activism. Brzozowski reveals the implications of these designations on domestic civil liberties and the potential for legal actions against U.S. activists. The duo also critiques the misleading comparisons of Antifa to international terrorist groups, highlighting the dangers of politicizing national security.
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Domestic Label Lacks Legal Teeth
- The Trump administration has branded Antifa as a domestic terror threat through an executive order without creating new legal authorities.
- That label creates a chilling public impression despite having no statutory enforcement mechanism, Tom Brzozowski warns.
NSPM-7 Widens Investigative Reach
- NSPM-7 directs federal agencies to target organized political violence and pulls state and local law enforcement into JTTFs.
- That expands investigative reach and risks blurring political advocacy with criminal conduct, Tom Brzozowski cautions.
FTO Would Trigger Real Legal Tools
- FTO designations carry criminal, immigration, and civil consequences that the domestic EO lacks.
- Moving from an EO to FTO status would be a major escalation with tangible legal tools, Tom Joscelyn and Tom Brzozowski note.