Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence

Signed 2025-09-25 Memorandums

Analysis Document Document Links

TLDR

This memorandum directs federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute “domestic terrorism and organized political violence,” specifically targeting “anti-fascist” movements through Joint Terrorism Task Forces, expanded surveillance, financial investigations, and IRS scrutiny of tax-exempt organizations. The order claims a dramatic increase in political violence and characterizes anti-fascist activities as coordinated terrorism rather than isolated incidents. However, the memorandum contains unverifiable factual claims and raises significant constitutional concerns by targeting ideological opposition rather than specific criminal acts, potentially violating First Amendment protections for political speech and assembly while using federal agencies for political purposes.

This memorandum directs federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute what it terms “domestic terrorism and organized political violence,” with particular focus on activities characterized as “anti-fascist.” The order establishes a comprehensive strategy using Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) to investigate networks, funding sources, and organizations allegedly involved in political violence. Key provisions include expanded surveillance powers, financial investigations through Treasury, IRS scrutiny of tax-exempt organizations, and designation of domestic terrorism as a national priority area.

The memorandum claims a dramatic increase in political violence, citing specific incidents including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, healthcare executive murder, and attacks on ICE officers. It characterizes these as coordinated campaigns rather than isolated incidents, specifically targeting “anti-fascist” movements that it claims use violence to achieve policy goals.

The order directs JTTFs to investigate not only direct participants in alleged violent acts but also funders, supporters, and organizations that “aid and abet” such activities. This includes examining non-governmental organizations and citizens with foreign ties under Foreign Agents Registration Act violations.

Financial investigations are expanded through Treasury Department tools and IRS examination of tax-exempt status for organizations allegedly supporting domestic terrorism. The memorandum requires all federal law enforcement to interrogate individuals involved in political violence about organizational connections and funding sources.

Several factual claims in the memorandum appear problematic. The assertion of “more than 1,000 percent increase in attacks on ICE officers since January 21, 2025” lacks verifiable sourcing and the timeframe is suspicious given the memorandum’s date. The claim about Charlie Kirk’s assassination and specific details about bullet engravings cannot be independently verified through available sources.

The memorandum’s characterization of “anti-fascist” movements as inherently terroristic raises First Amendment concerns, as it appears to target ideological opposition rather than specific criminal acts. The broad definition of “aiding and abetting” could encompass constitutionally protected activities like peaceful protest organization or legal advocacy.

The directive to investigate funding sources and tax-exempt organizations based on ideological criteria rather than specific criminal conduct may violate due process protections and equal treatment under law. The requirement to interrogate individuals about organizational affiliations before adjudication raises Fifth Amendment self-incrimination concerns.

The memorandum’s approach conflates political opposition with terrorism, potentially chilling First Amendment rights to free speech, assembly, and petition. The broad investigative scope lacks the specificity typically required for law enforcement actions and may enable fishing expeditions against political opponents.

The directive to examine tax-exempt organizations based on ideological criteria rather than clear violations of tax law raises concerns about weaponizing federal agencies for political purposes. The coordination between multiple agencies (DOJ, DHS, Treasury, IRS) for investigations based primarily on political ideology represents a significant expansion of federal surveillance powers without corresponding oversight mechanisms.

The President has broad authority under Article II to direct federal law enforcement priorities and coordinate between agencies. However, this authority is constrained by constitutional protections, particularly the First Amendment’s protection of political speech and assembly, and the Fifth Amendment’s due process requirements.

While the President can direct investigations into genuine criminal conduct and terrorism, the memorandum’s focus on ideological characteristics rather than specific criminal acts may exceed constitutional bounds. The broad targeting of organizations and individuals based on political beliefs rather than concrete criminal behavior raises separation of powers concerns, as it effectively uses executive enforcement powers to suppress political opposition.

The President has authority to designate national priority areas for law enforcement and coordinate federal agency responses to genuine security threats. However, using these powers to target political movements based on ideology rather than specific criminal conduct may constitute an abuse of executive authority and violation of constitutional protections for political dissent.

NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM/NSPM-7

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

SUBJECT: Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized

Political Violence

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:

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. This was preceded by the 2024 assassination of a senior healthcare executive and the 2022 assassination attempt against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Two separate assassination attempts against my own life in less than 3 months took place during the 2024 Presidential election cycle. Riots in Los Angeles and Portland reflect a more than 1,000 percent increase in attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year. Just yesterday, a shooting targeting an ICE facility in Dallas resulted in multiple casualties.Separate anti-police and “criminal justice” riots have left many people dead and injured and inflicted over $2 billion in property damage nationwide.

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.

These campaigns often begin by isolating and dehumanizing specific targets to justify murder or other violent action against them. They do so through a variety of fora, including anonymous chat forums, in-person meetings, social media, and even educational institutions. These campaigns then escalate to organized doxing, where the private or identifying information of their targets (such as home addresses, phone numbers, or other personal information) is exposed to the public with the explicit intent of encouraging others to harass, intimidate, or violently assault them. As in the case of several ICE agents in Los Angeles being doxed, the goal of these campaigns can be to obstruct the operations of the Federal Government as well as aid and abet criminal activity the Federal Government is lawfully pursuing. These campaigns are coordinated and perpetrated by actors who have developed a comprehensive strategy to achieve specific policy goals through radicalization and violent intimidation.

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.

Sec. 2.Investigating Domestic Terrorist Organizations. (a) The National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices (collectively, “JTTFs”) shall 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. This strategy shall include the investigatory and prosecutorial measures set forth in this section.

(b) The JTTFs shall investigate potential Federal crimes relating to acts of recruiting or radicalizing persons for the purpose of:

(i) political violence, terrorism, or conspiracy against rights; or

(ii) the violent deprivation of any citizen’s rights.

(i) institutional and individual funders, and officers and employees of organizations, that are responsible for, sponsor, or otherwise aid and abet the principal actors engaging in the criminal conduct described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section; and

(ii) non-governmental organizations and American citizens residing abroad or with close ties to foreign governments, agents, citizens, foundations, or influence networks engaged in violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act(22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.) or money laundering by funding, creating, or supporting entities that engage in activities that support or encourage domestic terrorism.

(d) The JTTFs shall consult and coordinate with executive departments and agencies (agencies) as needed to determine whether such agencies can apply existing authorities or exercise their own authorities, as appropriate, to support the JTTFs’ investigations and relevant prosecutions of political violence.

(e) The JTTFs may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with law enforcement partners when investigating domestic terrorism.

(f) The National Joint Terrorism Task Force shall provide regular progress updates to the President through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor.

(g) The Attorney General shall direct the Department of Justice to prosecute all Federal crimes, to the maximum extent permissible by law, related to the investigations described in subsections (a) through © of this section.

(h) The Attorney General shall issue specific guidance that ensures domestic terrorism priorities include politically motivated terrorist acts such as organized doxing campaigns, swatting, rioting, looting, trespass, assault, destruction of property, threats of violence, and civil disorder. This guidance shall also include an identification of any behaviors, fact patterns, recurrent motivations, or other indicia common to organizations and entities that coordinate these acts in order to direct efforts to identify and prevent potential violent activity.

(i) The Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary), in coordination with the Attorney General, shall make available all resources, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence. The Secretary, acting through the Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Office of the Department of the Treasury, shall deploy investigative tools, examine financial flows, and coordinate with partner agencies to trace illicit funding streams. The Secretary shall provide guidance for financial institutions to file Suspicious Activity Reports and investigate indicia of illicit funding streams to ensure such activity is rooted out at the source and referred for law enforcement action, as appropriate.

(j) The Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (Commissioner) shall take action to ensure that no tax-exempt entities are directly or indirectly financing political violence or domestic terrorism. In addition, where applicable, the Commissioner shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service refers such organizations, and the employees and officers of such organizations, to the Department of Justice for investigation and possible prosecution.

(k) All Federal law enforcement agencies with investigative authority shall question and interrogate, within all lawful authorities, individuals engaged in political violence or lawlessness regarding the entity or individual organizing such actions and any related financial sponsorship of those actions prior to adjudication or initiation of a plea agreement. Investigations should prioritize crimes such as the following: assaulting Federal officers or employees or otherwise engaging in conduct proscribed by 18 U.S.C. 111; conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. 241; conspiracy to commit offense under 18 U.S.C. 371; solicitation to commit a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. 373; money laundering under 18 U.S.C. 1956; funding of terrorist acts or otherwise facilitating terrorism under 18 U.S.C. 2339, 2339A, 2339B, 2339C, and 2339D; arson offenses under 18 U.S.C. 844; violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.); and major fraud against the United States under 18 U.S.C. 1031.

(l) All Federal law enforcement agencies with investigative authority shall adopt strategies similar to those used to address violent crime and organized crime to disrupt and dismantle entire networks of criminal activity.

Sec. 3. Department of Justice Designation. In the course of and as a result of the investigations directed by section 2 of this memorandum, the Attorney General may 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 Attorney General shall submit a list of any such groups or entities to the President through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor.

Sec. 4.Domestic Terrorism as a National Priority Area. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall designate domestic terrorism a national priority area and develop appropriate grant programs to allocate funding for law enforcement partners to detect, prevent, and protect against threats arising from this area.

Sec. 5.General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

© This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

DONALD J. TRUMP