Trump Moves to Designate Muslim Brotherhood Affiliates as Terror Groups

President Donald Trump has initiated steps to potentially label affiliates of the **Muslim Brotherhood** in the Middle East as terrorist organizations. On **October 9, 2023**, Trump issued an executive order directing his administration to assess whether Muslim Brotherhood chapters in **Egypt**, **Lebanon**, **Jordan**, and other countries should receive this designation. The move underscores a significant shift in U.S. policy towards this controversial Islamist movement.

The executive order mandates that **Secretary of State Marco Rubio** and **Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent** submit a report within **30 days**, with a subsequent **45-day** timeline for any official action. The order alleges that affiliates in these countries “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns.”

In particular, the White House noted that the military wing of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Lebanese chapter has been implicated in launching rockets at **Israel** following the **terrorist attack on October 7, 2023**. Additionally, a leader of the Egyptian branch is accused of encouraging violent actions against U.S. partners in the region. The Jordanian chapter has also been criticized for providing material support to **Hamas**, a known offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S.

Should these groups be officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations, it would become illegal under U.S. law to knowingly provide financial or material support to them. Such a designation could also result in travel bans for members and the freezing of assets held in U.S. financial institutions.

Originating in **Egypt** nearly a century ago, the Muslim Brotherhood has evolved into a significant political force throughout the Middle East. The group gained prominence when **Mohammed Morsi**, affiliated with the Brotherhood, was elected president of Egypt in 2012 following the ousting of dictator **Hosni Mubarak**. However, Morsi’s presidency was cut short when he was removed by the military the following year. Despite some leaders renouncing violence, the movement remains contentious, with critics arguing that several affiliated factions endorse extremist views.

In recent years, both **Egypt** and **Jordan** have taken decisive actions against the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt’s military government formally banned the group in **2013**, while Jordan enacted a ban earlier in **2023**. The White House emphasized that President Trump is addressing what it describes as the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which it claims fuels terrorism and destabilization efforts threatening U.S. interests and allies.

This latest executive order follows a similar declaration by **Texas Governor Greg Abbott**, who recently labeled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and prohibited it from acquiring land in Texas. Abbott’s actions included a move against the **Council on American-Islamic Relations**, which prompted a lawsuit from the civil rights group.

Trump has previously employed executive powers to designate various groups as terrorist organizations. Earlier in **2023**, his administration classified several Latin American drug cartels, including **Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles**, as foreign terrorist organizations, intensifying pressure on the Venezuelan government led by **Nicolás Maduro**. Furthermore, four European groups associated with **antifa** have also been designated, despite the lack of a formal system for labeling domestic terror groups in the U.S.

The current developments reflect ongoing debates surrounding the implications of labeling political movements and organizations as terrorist entities, especially those with historical and social complexities such as the Muslim Brotherhood.