Trump administration eyes summit to counter Antifa extremist networks

The Trump administration is considering holding a summit focused on combating Antifa and other left-wing extremist networks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Planning is still in its early stages. No date has been set, a State Department official told Fox News.

The potential summit comes as the administration increasingly focuses on what officials describe as transnational anarchist and Marxist groups, particularly those operating in Europe.

Some counterterrorism experts have disputed the characterization of Antifa as an organized group, arguing that it operates more as a decentralized movement rather than a formal network, according to Reuters.

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A protester holds an anti-fascist banner during a demonstration during the 2020 presidential election in New York, November 5, 2020. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg)

“Antifa anarchists, Marxists, and violent extremists have waged a campaign of terror in the United States and the Western world for decades, carrying out bombings, beatings, shootings, and riots in service of their extremist agenda,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. “The State Department is committed to identifying and dismantling these terrorist networks that conspire to ruthlessly suppress the will of the people and violently overthrow the very foundations of the United States and Western civilization.”

Officials said recent efforts have focused on designating foreign groups linked to anarchist and left-wing extremist activities under U.S. counterterrorism authorities.

A State Department official told Fox News that each designation “focuses on a specific foreign organization that has engaged in terrorism or maintains the capacity and intent to engage in terrorism, while threatening Americans and/or the national security of the United States.”

The official highlighted recent designations targeting four organizations in Europe, including groups based in Germany, Italy and Greece that authorities say are using violence against perceived political opponents.

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The State Department has designated European Antifa cells as foreign terrorist organizations. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images:Andrea Ronchini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Under U.S. law, such designations trigger a range of measures, including freezing assets, restricting travel and authorizing criminal prosecution of those who provide material support.

The State Department has also flagged specific incidents linked to Antifa-aligned groups, including a recent bomb attack in Rome attributed to members of the Informal Anarchist Federation, or FAI.

“These groups have engaged in organized violence, and the United States will not hesitate to use its counterterrorism authorities to disrupt them and prevent them from accessing funding or operational support, as with any other terrorist threat,” the official said.

Officials stressed the importance of coordination with allies, noting that many networks operate across borders.

Agitators wave an Antifa flag during a prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk in Boston, September 18, 2025. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday the launch of investigations into left-wing terrorist cells in Texas, amid increasing political violence. (Reuters/Lauren Owens Lambert)

The administration has integrated this initiative as part of a broader effort to combat global terrorism, including actions targeting groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as well as transnational criminal organizations.

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“The United States will continue to press for strong, coordinated action to identify, monitor, and disrupt violent groups, including left-wing extremist networks like Antifa-aligned organizations, active in parts of Europe and the Western Hemisphere,” the official said.