President Trump, on Thursday, put some teeth into his declaration of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization by issuing a “National Security Presidential Memorandum” that focuses on shutting down domestic violence.
The memorandum, titled Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence, targets “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.”
UNIDENTIFIED: Lastly, sir, this is a presidential memorandum on countering uh domestic terrorism and organized political violence. In recent weeks, months, and years, we’ve seen a tremendous upsurge in some highly visible, but also other acts of domestic terrorism and organized political violence being perpetrated by radical, politically motivated groups all over the country. What this presidential memorandum will do is set off an administration-wide response to that, ranging from the joint terrorism task forces to other components of the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Treasury. We’re looking at interdicting these groups, preventing them from performing acts of violence, and also looking at sources of organization and funding and support that prop them up and allow them to do the acts that they have been doing.
TRUMP: We’re looking at the funders of a lot of these groups, and you know, when you see the signs and they’re all beautiful signs made professionally. These aren’t your protesters that make the sign in their basement late in the evening because they really believe it. These are anarchists and agitators. Professional anarchists and agitators. And they get hired by wealthy people. Some of whom I know, I guess you know, probably know. And you wouldn’t know it. You’re at dinner with them, everything’s nice, and then you find out that they funded millions of dollars to these lunatics.
Trump’s strategy is to go after those organizations funding groups designated as domestic terrorist organizations. This is how it will work in a nutshell.
The Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, along with the Attorney General, are the key players.
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices are tasked with coordinating and managing the national strategy. Their mission will be to investigate and prosecute those engaged in political violence and intimidation. Perhaps more importantly, they will be targeting “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” domestic terrorism.
So, yes, there will be a larger federal role in cracking down on political violence that has been left to state and local authorities, but the FBI will be following the money. And the guys who pay for business class tickets to shuttle Antifa and Antifa-adjacent organizers around the country and provide lodging for them will also be facing federal prison sentences.
- The Attorney General is required to set suppression of domestic terrorism as a priority and prosecute all federal crimes, to the maximum extent permissible by law, related to political violence, intimidation, terrorism, “recruiting or radicalizing persons” for those purposes, and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act or money laundering laws for “funding, creating, or supporting entities that engage in activities that support or encourage domestic terrorism.”
What makes this section interesting is that it requires DOJ to prosecute “politically motivated terrorist acts such as organized doxing campaigns, swatting, rioting, looting, trespass, assault, destruction of property, threats of violence, and civil disorder.” This means that the days of attacking federal buildings and having local Marxist prosecutors turn a blind eye are over. It could mean the January 6 treatment for all the left’s street hooligans.
- The Treasury Secretary is required to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence, including through examination of “financial flows,” as well as through issuance of guidance to financial institutions to identify relevant “illicit funding streams.” At the same time, the IRS Commissioner is enlisted to ensure no tax-exempt entities are “directly or indirectly” financing political violence or domestic terrorism, and where applicable, to refer such organizations to DOJ.
All of this together means a widespread “debanking” of leftist groups, and the officers of progressive 501(c)3s who give grants to groups falling under the domestic terrorist umbrella will be criminally liable.
Stephen Miller is the administration’s focal point for this directive, and Miller is not going to let the designated organizations play “let’s don’t and say we did.”
The role of the Secretary of State is not clear, but I suspect State will have a role in establishing links between domestic terrorist organizations and their foreign counterparts.
Sphincters started slamming shut across the country.
But Trump did later single out prominent liberal donors George Soros and Reid Hoffman as people he’s “hearing” about, remarks that are likely to intensify fears the memorandum will be used to investigate Trump’s political opponents.
Trump and Bondi were also asked about New York Times reporting about a push at the Justice Department to investigate Soros’ foundation and whether that was part of the memorandum he signed.
“I’m not going to comment on whether there is or is not a pending investigation, but everything’s on the table right now,” Bondi said.
“I don’t think anybody has to ask,” Trump said. “If you look at Soros, he’s at the top of everything,” he added. “He’s in every story that I read, so I guess he’d be a likely candidate.”
While the left will undoubtedly try to frame this as some sort of attack on the Constitution, I think Trump has a bigger worry. American political culture is definitely under attack by monied and foreign interests masquerading as dissent. If we are to survive, we need to crush not only the foot soldiers but also the sponsors.
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