What Is Antifa?

 What Is Antifa?

On September 22, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order declaring Antifa a “Terrorist Threat” that is trying to overthrow the United States Government. With the stroke of a pen he stated, “I hereby designate Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization.”

Since even our president seems to be confused, perhaps a better explanation of "antifa" is in order. Antifa is a label just as MAGA is a label. It is a word used to describe a decentralized ideology. Antifa, like MAGA, is a political protest movement comprised of autonomous groups affiliated by a set of common ideas. While MAGA is an acronym for Make America Great Again, Antifa is a portmanteau which blends the words “anti” as in against, and the “fa” in fascism. Antifa then is simply a group against fascism.

Since fascism is an ideology that supports ultranationalism under authoritarian control that emphasizes nation and race over the individual, you might reasonably infer that anyone who is not anti-fascist must support racism and authoritarian rule. With this understanding it is easier to see why the president might want to quash anyone who doesn’t want an authoritarian form of government.

Perhaps it is easier to be against a somewhat poorly understood ideology like “antifa” than to say you support an authoritarian form of government. Using the word antifa to create a scary boogeyman can be useful to incite others to action. It would be unfashionable to say you aspire to the type of government promoted by Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. You might, however, get people to oppose a “mysterious group” that opposes your authoritarian ideas.

Both Hitler and Mussolini rose to power during political and economic instability. In Germany and Italy of the early 20th century there was political and economic turmoil. In today’s US, there was already political division, but the economy was very strong. Under Donald Trump the nation is further divided than when he took office and he seems to be working hard (tariffs) to create economic turmoil. When both things exist, it is easier to justify your ham-handed authoritarian solutions.

It is true that followers of both antifa and MAGA ideologies have turned to violence. When that happens, the government should use the full power of the law to bring peace. It should not, however, selectively seek to crush one while issuing presidential pardons for those violent individuals who happen to support your authoritarian concepts. Lady Justice is blindfolded by design.

For the reasons outlined above, everyone who believes in democracy is by definition, antifa. Fascism and democracy are polar opposites. If you disagree with the antifa ideology you must support fascism and its inherent racist authoritarian ideology. So I ask the question, do you support the governments aspired to by Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini, or do you support our U.S. Constitution and the democracy outlined by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787? Are you a patriotic American who supports our laws and ideals or do you support fascism? There are no fence straddlers here.