President Donald Trump on Monday took a major step that previous administrations — Republican and Democrat alike — repeatedly dodged: he signed an executive order that begins the process of designating multiple chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, including the branch that spawned Hamas.

According to the order, Trump is directing the State Department and Treasury to determine which Brotherhood chapters “should be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).” In other words, Washington is finally acknowledging what much of the Middle East has understood for decades.

The administration’s fact sheet makes it clear: this is about protecting the United States and stopping dangerous Islamist networks from hiding behind political activism while facilitating violence.

Calling Out the Worst Offenders

The order specifically points to the Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, detailing how they “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests.”

The White House also highlights aggressive actions following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks, noting that:

• The Lebanese chapter’s militant wing joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups to fire rockets into Israel — targeting both civilians and soldiers.

• A senior Egyptian Brotherhood leader openly called for attacks against U.S. partners.

• Jordanian Brotherhood leaders have provided material support to Hamas for years.

This is hardly a surprise. Hamas was formed in 1987 as the Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization founded in 1928 in Egypt and committed to Islamist political dominance ever since. The ideological and operational connection is undeniable — unless you work at CNN, in which case everything is “complicated.”

A Clear Timeline — And A Clear Mission

Trump’s order gives Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 30 days to produce a detailed report on which Brotherhood branches qualify for designation. They must consult with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

After the report, the agencies have 45 days to formally designate the qualifying groups as FTOs and SDGTs.

Translation: this is not symbolic. This is action.

The White House emphasized that Trump is once again doing what Washington elites long swore was “too controversial”: prioritizing American safety and global stability over political correctness.

A Tougher Approach to Global Crime and Terror

Monday’s move was part of a broader crackdown on foreign threats. The Trump administration also officially designated:

• Cartel de los Soles, tied to Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, as an FTO

• Tren de Aragua, the brutal Venezuelan mega-gang, as an FTO and SDGT

• MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), as both an FTO and SDGT

It marks one of the most aggressive counterterror and anti-cartel pushes from a U.S. administration in modern history.

The Biden-era softness on global crime is over.
The Obama-era hesitancy to call Islamism what it is — an ideological threat — is gone.
And the Trump administration is making one thing unmistakably clear:

If you aid terrorism, if you destabilize allies, or if you threaten American lives — you’re getting labeled, sanctioned, and hunted.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.