aSeveral high-profile Antifa figures have left the country or are making preparations to leave the country soon.After President Donald Trump called Antifa a domestic terrorist threat and told federal officials to break up terrorist networks in the US, news of their escape came.
Mark Bray, who funds international Antifa operations and is the most important Antifa thinker in the United States, said he is leaving for Europe, preferably Spain, because he is worried about his safety.
Before his departure, Bray issued an apparent call to action, urging widespread militancy. “Only mass antifascism, legal or not, can save us,” Bray declared on Bluesky, a popular platform on the political Left.
Bray, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, will keep teaching seminars on “Terrorism” and “The History of Antifascism” online, even though students have signed a Change.org petition asking for his firing.
Critics on campus have called Bray “Dr. Antifa” in a mocking way since he openly advocates far-left violence in his academic work. Bray’s book, Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, is a how-to guide that is meant to be used as “reference” material for getting rid of what he calls “fascism.”
Half of the money made from his book goes to the funding arm of Antifa International, which helps hundreds of groups across the world, including official antifa groups in the US like Atlanta Antifascists and Central Oregon Anti-Fascist Action.
Antifa International uses its bail money to pay for a lot of things, not simply legal bills. These include “emergency relocations” and riot-related tactical gear.
“As a precaution,” Antifa International has since shut down its donation infrastructure “to protect our donors and recipients.” The announcement mentioned relocating operations due to Trump’s edict, suggesting that the global group’s fundraising apparatus is based in the United States. Antifa International accepts donations through standing campaigns on Patreon, FundRazr, and the Action Network, all American fundraising sites.
This comes as President Donald Trump has announced that he intends to designate Antifa as a foreign terrorist organization, escalating his administration’s response to what he described as an international network of far-left extremists responsible for violence in U.S. cities and political attacks.
The president made the statement during a roundtable discussion at the White House with a group of independent journalists — including Jack Posobiec, Nick Sortor, and others who have reported extensively on Antifa’s activities — following months of rising political violence and renewed public scrutiny after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
While answering questions from the press pool, one reporter asked whether Trump would take the step of labeling Antifa a foreign terror group — a move beyond its current classification as a domestic extremist organization.
“Well, has that been done? Pretty close, right? Would you like to see it done?” Trump asked the room. Posobiec quickly replied, “Yes, Mr. President.”
Trump then turned to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present at the meeting, and said, “We’ll take care of it.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller added, “Yes, it’s true. There are extensive foreign ties, and I think that would be a very valid step to take.”
According to administration officials, the proposed designation would focus on Antifa’s financial and operational links to groups in Western Europe and the Middle East — ties that U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly been monitoring for months.
Trump’s remarks came as his administration continues to face widespread protests against recent immigration enforcement operations and National Guard deployments in cities like Chicago and Portland.
Officials say those same cities have seen recurring Antifa activity, particularly around Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.
Trump responded by promising swift federal action. “We’re not going to let this happen again,” he said. “Antifa will be dealt with.”
If implemented, the designation would mark the first time the United States formally identified a domestic-based organization as a foreign terrorist entity—a move that would enable international sanctions, asset freezes, and cross-border investigations.
For Trump, however, the message was clear: “They’ve declared war on America,” he said. “Now we’re declaring it back.”
