President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing his administration to begin a formal review that could designate specific chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt as terrorist organizations. The order gives senior officials 30 days to report back and 45 days to move forward with any designations.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order that begins the process of designating certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.
According to a White House fact sheet and reporting by multiple outlets, including the Daily Wire, Reuters, and The Washington Post, the order instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to assess whether Muslim Brotherhood chapters in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt should be labeled both Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). Rubio and Bessent are directed to submit a report within 30 days and, where appropriate, move ahead with any designations within 45 days.
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, has grown into a transnational Islamist movement and has been linked by U.S. officials and analysts to violent groups across the Middle East, including Hamas.
In the executive order, Trump describes the organization as a network with chapters that "engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests." The text cites a senior leader of the Egyptian chapter who, on October 7, 2023, allegedly called for violent attacks against U.S. partners and interests, and states that Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leaders have "long provided material support" to the militant wing of Hamas.
The order also asserts that the Muslim Brotherhood’s military wing in Lebanon joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian factions in launching rocket attacks into Israel following the October 7, 2023, assault. It argues that such activities "threaten the security of American civilians in the Levant and other parts of the Middle East, as well as the safety and stability of our regional partners."
According to the White House description quoted by the Daily Wire, the administration says the order is intended to "eliminate the designated chapters’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and end any threat such chapters pose to U.S. nationals and the national security of the United States." The practical effect of any final designations would be to allow U.S. authorities to impose sanctions, freeze assets, restrict travel, and pursue criminal charges for material support.
Trump previewed the action over the weekend in an interview with Just the News, saying the move "will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms" and that final documents were being prepared.
The step tracks with long-standing efforts by Republican lawmakers and conservative groups to have the Muslim Brotherhood formally labeled a terrorist organization by Washington. Reuters and other outlets note that Trump pursued a similar effort during his first term and revived it early in his second term. Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization at the state level and also labeled the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a foreign terrorist organization under Texas law.
While the executive order directs officials to focus on chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, it does not itself place the Muslim Brotherhood on U.S. terrorism lists. That step will depend on the outcome of the State and Treasury Departments’ review and any subsequent designations.
