Trump Moves To Designate Muslim Brotherhood Chapters As Terrorist Organizations

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order opening the door for several chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood — including the one that gave rise to Hamas — to be designated as terrorist groups by his administration.

The president’s order “sets in motion a process by which certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood shall be considered for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organizations … and specially designated global terrorists,” according to its text. While the directive does not immediately place labels on any part of the Islamist movement it directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to compile a report on whether any of its chapters “should be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs),” according to a White House fact sheet released Monday.

The order specifically names the Muslim Brotherhood’s chapters in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, stating they “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests.”

“For example, in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel, the military wing of the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets within Israel,” the order continues. “A senior leader of the Egyptian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, on October 7, 2023, called for violent attacks against United States partners and interests, and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leaders have long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas.”