Antifa Labeled No. 1 Domestic Terror Risk — FBI Can’t Say Where It Is
A senior FBI official confirmed Thursday that the bureau views antifa as its top domestic terrorism concern — but could not explain where the group actually operates in the United States.
The exchange unfolded at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, with Representative Bennie Thompson pressing FBI National Security Branch Operations Director Michael Glasheen for specifics about antifa’s presence and structure.
According to Reuters, Glasheen described antifa as “the most immediate violent threat we’re facing on the domestic side,” tied to an executive order designating the movement as a domestic terrorist organization.
Thompson asked point-blank, “Where in the United States does antifa exist? If it’s a terrorist organization … where is it?” Committee video and social posts show Glasheen paused, then replied the FBI is “building out the infrastructure right now” to determine that.
The congressman followed up on how many members or cells had been identified, but the FBI official described the information as “very fluid” and part of ongoing investigations.
“It’s ongoing for us to understand that, the same no different than Al Qaeda and ISIS,” Glasheen said, according to Reuters.
Glasheen also noted the FBI has dozens of ongoing antifa-linked investigations and a significant increase in arrests this year — but he did not offer a clear count tied to a structured organization.
The hearing highlighted political disagreement over how domestic extremist threats are defined and tracked, especially for a decentralized movement that experts characterize as activism rather than a hierarchical group. Reports note antifa includes autonomous actors without a central headquarters or membership roster.
Lawmakers plan continued oversight of FBI counter-terror efforts and may seek clearer metrics on domestic threat assessments in future hearings.
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