President Trump has signed his promised executive order designating Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization.” 

Monday’s order states that Antifa, the left-wing black-clad protest group that takes its name from “anti-fascist,” is a “terrorist threat.”

“Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law,” the order says.

“It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals,” it added.

The order details how Antifa recruits, trains and radicalizes young Americans to engage in violence against federal law enforcement officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

All relevant executive departments and agencies have been instructed to use authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations “especially those involving terrorist actions - conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa, or for which Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa provided material support, including necessary investigatory and prosecutorial actions against those who fund such operations.”

President Trump last Thursday elaborated about designating Antifa as a terrorist organization, saying the government will investigate the left-wing group’s funding and its incitement of riots.

“We’re going to do a big thing with respect to Antifa. It’s a sick group. I mean, a very, very sick group…They love burning the American flag,” Mr. Trump said during an interview on Fox News. “I think it’s terrible that they burn the American flag. We’re going in, and we’re saying it incites riots.”

He added, “Therefore, you go to jail for one year if you burn the American flag. That’s different than Antifa, but Antifa burns a lot of American flags.”

• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.