Former Antifa activist praises Trump's designation of Antifa as domestic terrorists

WASHINGTON — A former Antifa activist praised President Donald Trump’s executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, saying the move was long overdue. The order, signed earlier this week, labels the umbrella movement as a threat to the U.S. government, law enforcement and the rule of law.

Gabriel Nadales, who has said he left Antifa as his political views shifted, told Fox News that the designation could extend to "self-described" and "localized" groups within the broader Antifa umbrella and could thus be used to label them domestically as terrorist organizations. "There’s this idea that Antifa is merely an idea and, to an extent, that is true, but Antifa is a very collective or a specified set of ideas that believes in political violence to enact its own political goals. That is literally the definition of terrorism," Nadales said. "So if you call Antifa just an idea, it is literally the idea of terrorism itself." Trump’s order branded Antifa as a "militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law." "It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals."

It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals.

Nadales said giving Antifa the "domestic terrorist" label could have two effects: first, helping law enforcement address what he called "terror cells," and second, launching a public-relations battle challenging the group’s identity as "anti-fascist." "Antifa continues to claim itself as the anti-fascist, and [say], 'If you are against Antifa, you're pro-fascist,' but nothing can be further from the truth," he said. "To combat Antifa is to combat political violence, no matter where it comes from, because, to a great extent, a lot of these Antifa activists, they are themselves the terrorists, they are themselves the fascists, so labeling them as domestic terror groups, it really helps in the battle against Antifa in the PR realm, because it really shows them for what they are. They are a domestic terrorist movement." Fox News' Alexandra Koch and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

The White House note accompanying the order describes Antifa as a "militarist, anarchist enterprise" that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. Nadales indicated the designation could complicate the group’s self-styled image as anti-fascist while giving law enforcement new tools to pursue individuals and cells that engage in violence.

The development comes as lawmakers and pundits debate how to address domestic extremism and political violence. Nadales, who has spoken publicly about his experiences, said the designation is not only a legal move but a signal that violence connected to political goals will be treated as a serious national-security concern.

The order, which Nadales described as long overdue, may also affect how some activists define their own actions and affiliations. While he framed the step as a clarifying moment for law enforcement, he acknowledged that opinions about the move are likely to remain divided in broader political and civil-liberties circles. The designation, he insisted, targets conduct rather than ideas, and he argued it should ultimately reduce violence by exposing and deterring those who participate in it under the banner of anti-fascism.

The Fox News report reiterates Nadales’s appearance on Fox & Friends First as part of the coverage surrounding the executive action, underscoring the interview’s role in shaping public understanding of the decision and its potential implications for both law enforcement and the political landscape surrounding Antifa.