Antifa Designation Sparks Controversy as the Military Moves Into Portland

On September 22, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order officially designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The decision authorized the FBI and Department of Justice to use counterterrorism tools against individuals and groups deemed affiliated with Antifa.

The move sparked outrage from constitutional scholars and the general public. Michael Kenney, a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, states that “There is no single organization called Antifa. That's just not the way these activists have ever organized themselves. There's tremendous variation inside that movement, even on issues like political violence.” The Congressional Research Service further described Antifa as “decentralized” and lacking a “unifying organizational structure or detailed ideology.” 

An infamous incident involving Antifa occurred in Portland in August 2020, when Michael Reinoehl shot and killed Aaron Danielson, a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer. Federal and local law enforcement officers killed Reinoehl while attempting to arrest him. However, despite these violent occurrences, law enforcement still asserts that there has never been a single terrorist incident directly connected to Antifa.

On September 27th, Trump further exacerbated the issue by deploying the United States Military to Portland to guard federal immigration facilities. It marks the latest in a series of military interventions in significant cities. In June, Trump used the National Guard to stop protests in Los Angeles. In early August, Trump deployed the National Guard once more, this time to Washington, D.C., in an effort to mitigate crime.

Supporters of the measure argue it is necessary to curb extremist violence in American cities. United States Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said on X: “I’ve seen firsthand how lawlessness has transformed Portland from a beautiful place to live to a crime-ridden war zone. Thank you, @POTUS, for taking action to keep our ICE facilities protected and Make America Safe Again!”

However, opposition is immense. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson stated, “The number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city. The president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it,” adding that the move was just “a big show.” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden highlighted on X that these deployments aim to increase fear and violence within the city.

The issue surrounding Antifa arises as the United States becomes increasingly polarized. Media commentators and political leaders on both sides of the aisle pointed to Charlie Kirk’s assassination earlier this month as a sign of increasing political violence. As the debate around polarization continues, the designation of antifa as a terrorist organization and the subsequent military deployment have become critical issues in a deeply divided America.

Read more here:

• Cecilia Nowell et al., The Guardian 

• Melissa Quinn, CBS News

• Kristina Cooke, Phil Stewart and David Ljunggren, Reuters

• KATU Staff, KATU

Extemp Analysis by: Ty Tan

Question: Does labeling antifa a terrorist group actually protect safety?

AGD: I think a strong narrative could go well here, in the description of how these aren’t terrorists but people simply fighting for rights. A joke that pokes fun at Trump’s naming conventions or something along those lines could also be timely, just try not to be too anti-Trump.

Background: In the structure of a 3-sentence background, I think the nature of this question is deceptively simple, but a few things need to be covered.

1. What is antifa and how they operate (this is important as their de-centralization is a key part of the controversy)

2. Trump’s desire to protect safety and his abuse of exec power to do so

3. How/Why antifa being a terrorist group could be a mistake (conflict sentence)

I think its important to emphasize that simply naming something doesn’t enforce anything or change anything—regardless of if antifa is the threat Trump claims they are, this fact should be clarified early on.

Answer: No, as such a designation does little.

1. The lack of accountability in designations

2. Antifa’s nonviolent protests

3. Antifa’s de-centralized nature

Analysis + Concluding Thoughts:

I think ordering points from the most obvious to the most pertinent is the best way to do it.  I would use my first point to discuss the simple fact that designating something a terrorist group doesn’t do much. All it does it generate anger for a movement without sending any mechanism to ensure they don’t ‘threaten’ Americans. For my second point, I would point out the fact Antifa is generally peaceful, and that by designating them a terrorist, you don’t change the fact they aren’t violent to begin with. Through my last point, I would highlight how antifa is highly decentralized and doesn’t operate with a unified command. Thus, attempts to outroot ‘terrorists of antifa’ wouldn’t be feasible, making Trump’s designation flimsy at best and downright unreasonable at worst.