Hate Groups Seize on Trump’s Antifa Order With Online Threats

Online extremists are rallying around President Donald Trump’s designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death, raising concerns that social media harassment could turn violent, according to researchers who track hate groups.

Members of Telegram channels tied to white supremacists seized on the order signed Monday by Trump with texts and videos urging thousands of followers to target perceived members of Antifa, a domestic movement with no centralized leadership or defined political organization. Users on the app pledged to act on the government’s behalf and suggested specific people to scapegoat first, the researchers found.