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Trump Orders Review of Muslim Brotherhood Chapters for Terrorist Designation
President Donald Trump’s new executive order directing the State and Treasury departments to pursue terrorism designations for specific Muslim Brotherhood chapters marks one of the most significant shifts in U.S. policy toward the movement in decades.
Signed on November 24, the order launches the first formal review of Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon under U.S. designation laws and redefines how Washington treats Islamist movements with political and militant wings.
Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the move, calling it essential for national security. “The Muslim Brotherhood and its branches encourage, facilitate and provide resources for conducting jihadist terrorism across the world,” he said, urging Congress to advance his Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025.
The directive bypasses a long-standing debate in Washington over whether the Brotherhood is a unified global movement or a loose network of national branches with different agendas and levels of militancy. This dispute had stalled previous attempts to designate the group. Instead, Trump’s order directs federal agencies to examine individual chapters that analysts say already meet legal thresholds for terrorism designation.
“This replaces years of debate with concrete action,” said Mariam Wahba, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The directive forces U.S. agencies to assess Brotherhood entities that function as “real organizations with leadership structures, financing channels and documented ties to terrorist groups.” Wahba added that the order “treats Islamist actors according to their behavior, not their branding.”
Across much of the Arab world, the Brotherhood has long faced severe restrictions. Egypt outlawed it in 2013, accusing the movement of radicalization and undermining state institutions. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain quickly followed with their own designations, citing national security concerns. Jordan dissolved its local chapter earlier this year following arrests related to illicit weapons activity.
Austria has also taken legal action against Brotherhood-linked networks as part of its counter-extremism framework, while France commissioned a government report earlier this year warning about the Brotherhood’s influence, though Paris has yet to implement a formal ban.
In the United States and other Western nations, Brotherhood-linked organizations function through a network of charities, advocacy centers, mosques, student associations, and community groups. This operational freedom has raised concerns among counterterrorism officials, particularly after a U.S. federal investigation in the early 2000s uncovered an internal Brotherhood memorandum describing its work in America as a long-term effort to influence and weaken Western institutions from within.
According to the Mind Israel think tank, this document reflects the Brotherhood’s commitment to “long-term social influence” through education, welfare networks, and media.
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The organization promoted Islam as the solution to modern political crises and expanded its influence through social services and media outreach. Later influential Brotherhood thinkers like Sayyid Qutb inspired jihadist movements including al Qaeda and ISIS.
Although the Brotherhood historically maintained a symbolic “general guide” in Egypt, today it operates as a decentralized network across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. This fragmentation explains why earlier attempts at a blanket U.S. designation failed. Instead, Trump’s order adopts the approach used when the United States designated Hamas, the Brotherhood’s Gaza branch, in 1997: targeting components “that engage in violence, not the ideology itself.”
The decision comes amid growing Israeli concern about a resurgent Islamist bloc backed by Turkey and Qatar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised Trump’s action, calling the Muslim Brotherhood “an organization that threatens stability throughout the Middle East and beyond,” and indicated Israel intends to expand its own restrictions.
Avner Golov, vice president of Mind Israel, argued that the United States should pair the new review process with steps to confront foreign influence in American academia, condition arms deals on behavioral changes, and close loopholes exploited by extremist-linked organizations.
As the State and Treasury departments begin assembling evidence, officials emphasize that the goal is not a blanket ban but a targeted legal process grounded in provable ties to terrorism. Analysts say the results could fundamentally reshape how the United States confronts a movement that remains outlawed across much of the Middle East yet maintains active operations throughout Western societies.
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10 Comments
Interesting move by Trump to target the Muslim Brotherhood globally. While the group’s activities are controversial, a careful review of each branch’s ties to extremism is warranted before designating them as a terrorist organization.
Agreed, a nuanced approach is needed to avoid overgeneralization. The Brotherhood has diverse national affiliates with varying degrees of militancy.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a complex Islamist movement with political and militant wings. Designating the entire organization as a terrorist group could have broad geopolitical implications that require thorough analysis.
Absolutely, such a move could strain relations with key regional allies where Brotherhood-linked groups are politically active. Careful diplomacy will be critical.
Designating Brotherhood chapters as terrorists is a controversial step that could have far-reaching effects. While the group’s ties to extremism are worrying, a careful, fact-based assessment is needed before such a move.
Agreed. The Brotherhood’s influence and activities vary greatly across different national contexts. A one-size-fits-all approach may not be prudent or effective.
This seems like a high-stakes move by Trump amid growing concerns over the Brotherhood’s influence in the West. Terrorism designations could disrupt financing and pressure governments to crack down on the group.
Yes, it’s a bold step that could reshape counterterrorism policies. But the legal and practical implications warrant close scrutiny to avoid unintended consequences.
Targeting the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group is a significant shift in U.S. policy. Given the group’s complex and decentralized nature, it will be critical to examine each national affiliate’s specific activities and links to violence.
Absolutely. Blanket designations could have unintended consequences, so a nuanced, evidence-based approach is warranted to avoid disrupting important regional dynamics.