President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration is moving ahead with a formal decision to label the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization in the United States, describing the step as being taken “in the strongest and most powerful terms” with paperwork now being finalized.
Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has long been accused by critics of spreading Islamist ideology and fueling regional instability. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott designated both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations, declaring, “These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas.”
The federal push dovetails with efforts by Republican lawmakers such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, who have pushed legislation to put the Brotherhood on the State Department’s terrorism list. Cruz pointed to the group’s links to Hamas and argued, “They are committed to the overthrow and destruction of America and other non-Islamist governments across the world.”
CAIR and other Muslim advocacy organizations condemn the designations as defamatory and unconstitutional, accusing officials of fueling anti-Muslim bigotry. Texas authorities, acting under Abbott’s directive to “identify, disrupt, and eradicate terrorist organizations engaged in criminal activities,” have opened investigations into the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR. Supporters of the crackdown say the Brotherhood’s ideology has inspired terror groups from al-Qaida to the Islamic State and Hamas, citing the group’s motto, “jihad is our way,” as proof of its goals.
The designation would affect U.S. law, sanctions, and policy, marking a broad, multi-jurisdictional effort that would reach into funding networks and support structures. Critics warn of civil liberties consequences if a broad label is applied to advocacy or charitable groups. For context, The Media Line covered the signals on Nov. 23, 2025.
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