U.S. President Donald Trump signals intent to designate Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization amid ongoing debates in Washington and Texas.
President Donald Trump has indicated plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, reviving a longstanding debate over how to classify the influential Islamic movement, U.S. media report.
Trump, speaking on Sunday November 23, 2025, said the designation “will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms,” noting that “final documents are being drawn.” The remarks signal a continuation of efforts first discussed during his previous administration but not acted on before he left office.
The proposed U.S. designation comes amid persistent pressure from Republican lawmakers. In July 2025, members of Congress introduced legislation urging action against the group, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in August that a designation for certain branches was “in the works.” Analysts note that a comprehensive designation has been complicated by the organization’s decentralized structure and its presence across multiple countries.
Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the region’s most influential Islamic political movements. While the group asserts its commitment to peaceful political participation, several governments in the Middle East and North Africa—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE—have classified it as a terrorist organization. Russia has also placed the Brotherhood on its terrorism list. Jordan moved to ban the group earlier this year following arrests of individuals accused of plotting attacks with rockets and drones.
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Trump’s announcement coincides with controversial measures in Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott last week labeled the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a major U.S. Muslim civil rights organization, as “foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations.” CAIR and its Texas chapter have filed a federal lawsuit against Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, calling the proclamation unconstitutional and defamatory, and arguing that it violates First Amendment protections.
Lena Masri, CAIR’s litigation director, said the organization “successfully sued and defeated Greg Abbott the last three times he tried to violate the First Amendment by punishing critics of the Israeli government,” and added that CAIR-Texas will not be “intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians.”
The Trump administration’s move, if formalized, would align the U.S. with several Middle Eastern states that have long targeted the Brotherhood, while also raising questions about potential domestic legal and diplomatic ramifications. The designation could influence counterterrorism policies, U.S.-Middle East relations, and ongoing debates over civil rights and free speech within the United States.
As Washington weighs the complex political, legal and security implications, analysts say any official move will likely be closely scrutinized both at home and abroad.
