Which specific right-wing extremist groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by the US government since 2020?

Checked on September 27, 2025
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1. Summary of the results

Based on the comprehensive analysis of multiple sources, no specific right-wing extremist groups have been formally designated as terrorist organizations by the US government since 2020 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]. This finding is consistent across all analyzed sources, which include official government websites, news organizations, and research institutions.

The analyses reveal a critical distinction in how the US government approaches domestic terrorism designations. While the State Department maintains an official list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations [2], there is no equivalent formal mechanism for designating domestic groups as terrorist organizations [7]. This structural limitation in US law means that even when domestic extremist groups engage in violent activities, they cannot be officially labeled as "terrorist organizations" in the same way foreign entities can be.

Interestingly, the only group that received any form of terrorist designation since 2020 was Antifa, which President Trump announced would be designated as a "domestic terrorist organization" [4] [5]. However, this designation was more of a political statement than a formal legal classification, as the US lacks the statutory framework to make such domestic designations official.

The sources consistently highlight that right-wing extremist violence has been a significant concern for law enforcement [3] [7] [8]. The FBI and other agencies have investigated numerous incidents involving right-wing extremists, but these investigations have not resulted in formal organizational designations. Instead, individual perpetrators are typically charged under existing federal statutes for specific crimes rather than terrorism-related offenses.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question assumes that formal terrorist designations of right-wing groups should exist, but the analyses reveal fundamental structural barriers that make such designations nearly impossible [7] [9]. The US legal system lacks a federal law making acts of domestic terrorism a stand-alone crime [9], which creates significant challenges for law enforcement agencies attempting to bring federal terrorism charges against domestic actors.

A crucial missing perspective is the political dimension of terrorist designations. The analyses show that during the Trump administration, there was a clear focus on designating left-wing groups like Antifa as terrorist organizations [4] [5], while right-wing groups did not receive similar attention despite documented violent activities. This suggests that terrorist designations may be influenced by political considerations rather than purely objective threat assessments.

The sources also reveal the complexity of defining and tracking domestic terrorism [8]. Unlike foreign terrorist organizations, which operate outside US jurisdiction and can be more easily designated, domestic groups often exist in legal gray areas where their activities may be protected under First Amendment rights until they cross into actual violence.

Another important missing context is the operational approach of US law enforcement. Rather than designating entire organizations, agencies appear to focus on investigating and prosecuting individual actors for specific criminal acts [9]. This approach may be more effective in practice but doesn't satisfy the public expectation for formal organizational designations.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that may be misleading: it presupposes that right-wing extremist groups should have been designated as terrorist organizations, potentially reflecting a bias about how the US government should respond to domestic threats. This framing could suggest that the absence of such designations represents a failure or oversight, when in reality it reflects structural limitations in US law rather than political favoritism [7] [9].

The question also fails to acknowledge the fundamental legal distinction between foreign and domestic terrorist designations. By asking specifically about "terrorist organizations," it implies that the same designation process applies to both foreign and domestic groups, which the analyses clearly show is not the case [2] [7].

Furthermore, the timeframe "since 2020" may be strategically chosen to coincide with periods of heightened political tension, potentially seeking to highlight perceived inconsistencies in government responses to different types of extremism. This temporal framing could be designed to emphasize the contrast between the Trump administration's focus on left-wing groups versus right-wing groups [4] [5].

The question's focus solely on right-wing groups, while ignoring the broader context of domestic terrorism policy and the actual designation of Antifa, suggests a selective framing that may not present the complete picture of US counterterrorism efforts during this period.

Want to dive deeper?
What criteria does the US government use to designate a group as a terrorist organization?
How many right-wing extremist groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by the US government since 2020?
What role does the FBI play in investigating and designating right-wing extremist groups as terrorist organizations?
Which specific right-wing extremist groups have been linked to violent attacks in the US since 2020?
How does the US government's designation of right-wing extremist groups as terrorist organizations impact their ability to operate and recruit members?