Top Trump officials on Thursday hosted a gathering of 66 nations to discuss the supposed threat of leftwing violence, launching a series of diatribes against leftism that were harsh even by the standards of the Trump administration. The conference, convened by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attended by senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, was billed as a “ministerial on the resurgence of political violence,” but the focus was solely on crushing leftist violence. The event came as Donald Trump escalates efforts to label his political opponents and a rising number of politicians identified with the Democratic Socialists of America as “communists.”
Dehumanizing Language and Unilateral Focus
Rubio embraced unusually dehumanizing language toward leftwing activists. “They can call themselves anti-capitalist or anti-imperialist, communist, anarchist or Marxist,” he said. “It’s always the same. It is a poisonous resentment cloaked in the language of equality and justice liberation – an overwhelming need to tear down, to wreck, what is beautiful and what is right on behalf of people who are only filled with ugliness and have nothing else to offer the world through violence and through terror.” He called leftists “an encroaching darkness” and “the enemies of civilization,” adding, “We will dismantle these networks brick by brick.”
The officials did not mention episodes of rightwing attacks, such as the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. The conference also avoided discussing violence from other political spectrums, drawing criticism for its one-sided approach.
New Visa Restrictions and Antifa Designation
Later on Thursday, the State Department announced a “new visa restriction policy that targets members of Far-Left Terrorist and other aligned groups.” It was not immediately clear who would be subject to the new restrictions. Rubio implied the US had largely won the effort against terrorism launched after the 2001 attacks, saying that threat was “severely diminished,” and the administration was now moving on to leftist violence, which he maintained had been overlooked.
Last year, Trump designated “antifa” as a “domestic terrorist organization,” a move that could help his government bring new intelligence, financial, and law enforcement tools against the amorphous grouping of antifascist protesters. Rubio also attempted to link disparate groups together, claiming “Iranian proxy networks are increasingly intimately tied to leftist militant groups around the world.”
Miller’s Rhetoric and Civil Liberties Dismissal
Miller railed against leftists, saying: “The leftist is fundamentally motivated by envy, by hatred, by jealousy. The leftist looks at what is beautiful and what is good and what is natural and is filled with envy and hatred.” He dismissed concerns about civil rights abuses, arguing that “one of the hallmarks of leftwing violence and terrorism is its completely pretextual and disingenuous appeal to civil liberties in an effort to shield its own violence.” He added, “When the leftist protests that we are violating his rights, understand that he is lying.”
Bessent’s Lip Service to Free Speech
Bessent was the only speaker to pay lip service to concepts of freedom of speech: “To be clear, in the fight against domestic terrorism, we must respect the constitutional rights of freedom of speech, association and assembly of all Americans.” Bessent is a former employee of George Soros, who some on the far right have frequently accused of wrongdoing.
Participating Nations and Blueprint
A State Department spokesperson said the 66 participating countries included Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, and Spain. Rubio and Miller both cited a presidential memorandum from last year, called “National Security Presidential Memorandum-7,” as a blueprint that facilitates a war against leftists and leftist violence, but it is unclear how much weight of law it had.
