The Trump administration has labelled Europe an "incubator of terrorist threats", and will target "antifascist and left-wing extremists" in its newly published counter-terrorism strategy.
The document, released by the White House on Wednesday, identifies three main threats against the United States: "narco-terrorists and international gangs," "historical Islamist terrorists," and "violent left-wing extremists, including anarchists and antifascists."
This marks a departure from the approach of the previous Democratic administration under Joe Biden, which had highlighted far-right groups, particularly white supremacists, as a significant threat to the nation.
The strategy claims that organised hostile groups are exploiting "open borders and associated globalist ideals" and warns of increased terrorism if Europe continues with current policies. "As the cradle of Western culture and values, Europe must act now to halt its stubborn decline," the document reads.
Domestically, the Trump administration plans to prioritise identifying and neutralising violent political groups with ideologies deemed anti-American, pro-transgender, and anarchist.
The document asserts that all constitutional tools will be employed to locate and trace their connections to groups such as Antifa, who are not an official organisation but a loose group of activists who mobilise against far-right extremism.
Sebastian Gorka, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, is overseeing the counter-terrorism strategy. Critics have previously accused Gorka of having links to far-right groups.
The administration has further announced its intention to intensify operations against drug trafficking across the Americas, which it refers to as “our hemisphere,” encompassing North and South America.
