U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, 23 November, that he is preparing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), signaling a potential shift in long-standing U.S. policy toward the transnational Islamist movement. Trump said the action would be taken “in the strongest and most powerful terms,” noting that the final documentation is being completed. The move follows renewed reporting on the Brotherhood’s international activities and years of internal deliberations within Trump’s team. Trump, who previously considered the designation during his first term, has faced mounting pressure from lawmakers and state officials to take action. Established in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist movement that has expanded into numerous countries through its branches, political parties, and associated groups. It has frequently been criticized and accused of promoting extremist ideologies and fueling instability across the Middle East. The announcement comes days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he plans to classify both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. Abbott accused both groups of seeking to impose Islamist rule and of supporting terrorism through…
