The Trump administration’s global campaign against ‘radical left terrorism’ is built on a national security memo without congressional approval

Almost a year after President Trump authorized preemptive law enforcement measures based on political or ideological beliefs, a wave of terrorism prosecutions against left-wing protesters has begun.

By: Melinda Haas, University of Pittsburgh, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 17, 2026

Words: 1,618

Last Updated: 2 days, 9 hours ago

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By Melinda Haas, University of Pittsburgh

A little-noticed presidential national security directive is now the legal engine behind a wave of terrorism prosecutions against left-wing protesters.

That domestic campaign now has an international dimension, one that American officials had been planning for months, culminating on July 16, 2026, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism drew representatives from more than 65 countries to Washington. The gathering was …

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