Trump UNLEASHES Terror Crackdown—Muslim Brotherhood Targeted

President Trump has taken decisive action to designate specific branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, targeting the ideological fountainhead responsible for spawning Hamas and other violent extremist groups that threaten American security and our allies.

Story Highlights

Trump signed Executive Order 14362 in November 2025, initiating the designation process for Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent designated multiple MB branches in January 2026, freezing assets and blocking financial networks tied to terrorism
The Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood and its Secretary General Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh received official FTO designation from the State Department
Bipartisan congressional support emerged through the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, backed by Representatives from both parties
Designations enable travel bans, asset seizures, and criminal penalties for material support to these organizations

Executive Action Targets Transnational Threat Network

President Trump signed Executive Order 14362 on November 24, 2025, directing the Secretaries of State and Treasury to evaluate specific Muslim Brotherhood chapters for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The order mandated a 30-day assessment period, requiring coordination with the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence. This executive action represents a strategic shift from previous administrations that designated individual MB affiliates like Hamas without systematically targeting national chapters across multiple countries where the Brotherhood operates.

Treasury and State Departments Implement Coordinated Designations

By January 2026, both departments completed their evaluations and announced formal designations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the Muslim Brotherhood maintains a longstanding record of perpetrating acts of terror, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to deploying full authorities to disrupt terrorist networks. The State Department designated the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, known as al-Jamaa al-Islamiyah, along with its Secretary General Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh as both FTO and SDGT. These designations trigger immediate consequences including asset freezes, travel restrictions for members attempting entry to the United States, and criminal liability for anyone providing material support.

Bipartisan Congressional Support Strengthens Policy Framework

Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida and Jared Moskowitz, also from Florida, reintroduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act with bipartisan backing from the Friends of Egypt Caucus. The legislation seeks to prohibit U.S. dollars from enabling the MB’s dangerous activities and mandates comprehensive sanctions including embargoes on financial transactions. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas emphasized the necessity of designation given the Brotherhood’s support for Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. This congressional momentum provided political support for Trump’s executive action, demonstrating unified recognition across party lines that the Muslim Brotherhood poses a genuine national security threat.

Historical Context Reveals Decades of Terror Connections

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, operates as a transnational Islamist movement with affiliates in over 70 countries promoting political Islam through various means. Hamas, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997, emerged directly from the Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch. Congressional testimony has documented the MB’s role as a global threat through its connection to multiple terror affiliates. Previous U.S. administrations designated individual MB-linked entities but avoided labeling entire national chapters, a limitation Trump’s approach now addresses. Allied nations including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates previously designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization within their jurisdictions.

Financial Disruption Aims to Cripple Terror Funding Networks

The SDGT designations authorize comprehensive financial sanctions designed to cut off the Muslim Brotherhood’s access to the U.S. financial system and international banking networks. Treasury’s actions freeze all assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit American individuals and entities from conducting transactions with designated MB branches. Financial institutions must comply with blocking requirements or face severe penalties, creating a enforcement mechanism that extends beyond American borders through correspondent banking relationships. This financial warfare strategy aims to disrupt the Brotherhood’s ability to fund operations, pay operatives, and transfer resources to affiliated terrorist groups, representing a critical tool for degrading organizational capacity without military intervention.

Strategic Implications for Counterterrorism Policy

The Muslim Brotherhood designations establish precedent for targeting large, decentralized ideological movements through focused chapter-by-chapter designations rather than attempting wholesale organizational labeling. Trump’s approach expands the FTO framework beyond traditional hierarchical terrorist groups to address networked threats that operate through semi-autonomous affiliates. The administration avoided designating the entire global Muslim Brotherhood due to its vast size and varied activities across dozens of countries, recognizing practical limitations while still achieving operational impact. This measured strategy addresses concerns about overreach while providing enhanced tools for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to monitor, disrupt, and prosecute MB-linked activities that threaten American interests and national security priorities.