Trump Moves to Label Muslim Brotherhood Affiliates as Terror Groups

President Donald Trump has initiated steps to potentially classify certain Middle Eastern affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. On Monday, he signed an executive order directing his administration to assess the status of Muslim Brotherhood chapters in nations such as Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, among others. This directive aligns with the administration’s ongoing efforts to address what it views as threats posed by the controversial Islamist movement.

The executive order requires Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to submit a report within 30 days regarding the possible designation of these groups. Following this, they will have an additional 45 days to take action. The order cites that affiliates in these regions “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns,” thereby justifying the potential designation as foreign terrorist organizations.

The document specifically references the military wing of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Lebanese chapter, which has been accused of launching rockets at Israel following the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Additionally, it alleges that a leader from the Egyptian chapter has “encouraged violent attacks against U.S. partners.” The administration has also pointed out that the Jordanian branch has historically provided material support to Hamas, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and also regarded as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

If these affiliates are formally designated as foreign terrorist organizations, U.S. law would make it illegal to knowingly provide financial or material support to them. Such a designation could also result in travel bans for members and the freezing of assets held in U.S. banks.

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt almost a century ago, has played a significant role in Middle Eastern politics. Its political party saw Mohammed Morsi elected as president in 2012 after the ousting of dictator Hosni Mubarak. However, Morsi’s presidency was cut short when he was removed by the military in 2013. While some leaders associated with the Brotherhood have publicly renounced violence, the movement remains contentious, with critics—many of whom are U.S. allies—claiming that various affiliated groups have engaged in violence or promoted extremist ideologies.

In recent years, Egypt’s military government formally banned the Muslim Brotherhood, and Jordan followed suit earlier this year. The White House stated, “President Trump is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East.”

This latest move by President Trump comes shortly after Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, prohibiting it from purchasing land in the state. Abbott has faced legal challenges for similar actions, including a ban on the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The Trump administration has previously utilized executive power to label organizations as terrorist groups. Earlier in the year, it designated several Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, including Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles, while heightening pressure on the Venezuelan government under President Nicolás Maduro. Analysts have noted that this cartel is not a centralized organization but rather a network of officials linked to organized crime.

In a broader context, the administration has also designated four European groups it claims are affiliated with antifa, which Trump has labeled a domestic terror organization. Despite these declarations, no formal structure exists in the U.S. for designating domestic terror organizations, and antifa is generally characterized as a loosely organized collective of left-wing activists.

President Trump’s consideration of labeling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization is not new; he previously explored this option during his first term. The ongoing evaluation reflects the administration’s strategic approach to foreign policy and national security, especially concerning groups perceived as threats to U.S. interests.