State Secretary Marco Rubio's push to treat antifa as an international terrorism threat is scaring multiple Trump administration officials who fear it could one day be turned against conservatives, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
Justice Department and White House Counsel's Office officials are reportedly uneasy about Rubio inviting senior ministers from more than 60 countries to a July 16 State Department meeting on what the administration describes as a global surge in far-left terrorism.
According to the Post, some have decided not to attend.
They're concerned about a possible boomerang effect, with one administration official warning the effort could set "a precedent for a future Gavin Newsom administration to turn these authorities on conservatives," a nod to the California governor widely seen as a top 2028 contender, the Post reported.
Counterterrorism czar Sebastian Gorka has discussed using foreign terrorism labels for antifa to justify investigating Americans tied to the movement, a step the Post noted could unlock surveillance and other tools.
Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has also backed the foreign designation, arguing the movement has significant ties abroad.
A White House official disputed the framing, saying it does not reflect the prevailing view inside the building and accusing Democrats of weaponizing national security powers against conservatives.
Trump branded antifa a domestic terrorist organization after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and prosecutors have since pursued a Texas case built around an alleged antifa cell that ended in sentences reaching 100 years.
Federal prosecutors later indicted 15 activists in Minneapolis, part of what critics call a widening playbook for jailing the administration's opponents.
Experts have said a group must be foreign to earn a foreign terrorism designation, making antifa's domestic footprint a stretch.