By Donald Judd, Kevin Liptak, Alayna Treene, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said he is designating far-left anti-fascism group Antifa as a terrorist organization, announcing the move on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Thursday morning UK time.

“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump wrote Thursday. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

It wasn’t immediately clear what mechanism Trump would use to make the designation, and Antifa lacks centralized structure or defined leadership, making it unclear who or what precisely would be targeted.

“This is just one of many actions the president will take to address left wing organizations that fuel political violence,” a White House official told CNN.

Trump — who’s overseas for a formal state visit — signaled the move earlier this week in remarks from the Oval Office following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

A host of administration officials have signaled in the wake of Kirk’s assassination that they’ll be targeting what they claim is a coordinated left-wing effort to incite violence. The moves have drawn protests from some Democrats, who allege Trump is creating a pretext to crack down on dissent or opposing viewpoints.

It was also not immediately clear what practical effect, if any, the asserted designation would have. In his first term, Trump vowed to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, and his then-attorney general, William Barr, said its activities constituted “domestic terrorism.”

But Antifa is not a structured group, but rather, a more nebulous social movement. And while it is illegal to provide “material support” to groups designated by the government as foreign terrorist organizations, there is not an analogous law for domestic groups.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire
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