The Trump Administration is facing mounting criticism over a sweeping directive that expands the government’s
definition of domestic terrorism indicators to include a wide range of political beliefs, with lawmakers and civil liberties groups warning it could be used to criminalize dissent.
The order, which directs the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to investigate “networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence,” identifies ideological markers such as
anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism and anti-Christianity as potential red flags. Rights groups say that language is so broad it risks sweeping in protest movements, advocacy organizations, and critics of the administration. “The goal is to silence people and groups by threatening retaliation,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California told TIME. “These are McCarthy-era tactics. The rise in political violence is real, but attacking free speech is not the answer.”
The White House has rejected claims that the order targets free speech.
“As someone who actually knows what it’s like to be censored, President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech and Democrat allegations to the contrary are so false, they’re laughable,” spokesperson Abigail Jackson told TIME.
“The Trump Administration will get to the bottom of this vast network inciting violence in American communities, and the President’s executive actions to address left-wing violence will start to put an end to any illegal activities.”
