WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has reignited a long-running geopolitical and domestic battle over Islam, counterterrorism, and civil liberties after signing a sweeping executive order on Nov. 24 directing federal agencies to evaluate whether specific chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

The order tasks the State and Treasury Departments with delivering a report within 30 days and preparing potential terror designations within 45 — reviving a stalled effort from Trump’s first term and immediately drawing fierce criticism from Muslim civil rights groups, Democrats, and international observers, though only limited street protests have materialized so far.

The White House claims the move targets the Brotherhood’s “transnational networks” and alleged links to Hamas, Hezbollah, and regional violence. Critics counter that the order is overly broad, legally dubious, and risks stigmatizing mainstream Muslim political groups and religious expression worldwide.

The Executive Order: Aiming at Three Brotherhood Branches

According to the order and a White House fact sheet, Trump specifically directed the government to examine:

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Lebanese branch, accused of aiding Hezbollah rocket attacks;

The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, which Washington says has supported Hamas;

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which the administration links to rhetoric encouraging violence against U.S. interests.

The order relies on authorities under the Immigration and Nationality Act and George W. Bush’s post-9/11 Executive Order 13224, which allows federal agencies to block assets, impose travel bans, and criminalize “material support.”

Hawkish Republicans — including Sens. Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton — applauded the move as “long overdue,” arguing MB affiliates fuel extremism across the Middle East.

The UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia already ban the Brotherhood at home. Jordan and Turkey, by contrast, allow political branches to operate legally, complicating any U.S. attempt to target MB chapters abroad.

Muslim Advocacy Groups Condemn the Plan

U.S. Muslim organizations denounced Trump’s order within hours, calling it a dangerous precedent that could be used to silence activists, faith groups, and political organizations that have no link to militancy.

CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization — and already sued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after he labeled it a terrorist group earlier this month — called Trump’s move “a dangerous escalation of anti-Muslim bigotry.”

“This is not counterterrorism,” said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. “This is a political attack masquerading as national security.”

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) warned the order could “chill free speech and religious life,” while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the first Muslim women in Congress, posted on X:

“This isn’t about security. It’s about scapegoating Muslims to justify hate.”

She added that most Muslim Brotherhood members worldwide are “teachers, doctors, and civil society leaders — not terrorists.”

International Response: Condemnation, Concern… and Some Protests

The Brotherhood’s political branches in the Middle East reacted sharply.

Egypt’s Freedom and Justice Party called the order “U.S. imperialism shielding dictators.”

Jordan’s Islamic Action Front said it would challenge any designation in U.S. courts.

Protests, however, have been small:

Notable Demonstrations

Location
Date
Size
Notes

Sweimeh, Jordan
Nov. 25
~200
Called U.S. policy “tyranny” and waved Palestinian flags.

Cairo, Egypt
Nov. 25
<100
Burned effigies of Trump; heavy police monitoring.

U.S. (planned)
Dec. 10
TBD
CAIR’s “Day of Action” may include rallies in D.C. and Dearborn.

As of Nov. 26, no major U.S. protests have broken out.

Legal Questions Loom Over the Order

Experts say Trump’s directive faces serious hurdles:

1. The President cannot unilaterally target state-specific chapters.

TPS and FTO designations apply nationwide, not by state — a point highlighted after Trump tried to rescind TPS protections for Somalis “in Minnesota.”

2. MB branches vary widely.

Some are militant, some are purely political, and others operate as NGOs. That makes a blanket designation legally risky.

3. First Amendment concerns.

Civil rights groups argue any action that indirectly targets American Muslims could quickly face constitutional challenges.

4. Foreign policy blowback.

The Brotherhood remains deeply embedded in the political structures of key U.S. partners like Jordan, Morocco, and Kuwait.

Heidi Altman of the National Immigration Law Center summed it up:

“There is no legal mechanism for designating a global political movement as a terrorist group.”

A Polarizing Move in a Polarizing Moment

Supporters have cheered Trump’s aggressive counterterror approach, calling MB affiliates “a pipeline for radical jihadism.” Republican governors — including Abbott — have echoed Trump’s rhetoric, describing the Brotherhood as “a threat to American values.”

Opponents warn that lumping disparate political groups under a “terrorism” umbrella fuels Islamophobia and distracts from genuine threats.

On X, discourse has followed predictable lines:

Pro-Trump accounts: “Finally holding them accountable!”

Progressives: “Another Muslim witch hunt.”

Foreign analysts: “Designations will destabilize allies more than terrorists.”

What Comes Next?

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said her department will conduct a full review “according to legal protocols,” including the required Federal Register notice — a step critics say could slow or derail the process.

As the 30-day review window unfolds, activists are mobilizing legal opposition, and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are preparing oversight hearings. A major protest movement could still emerge once the administration releases its designations list.

For now, the political shockwaves are real — but the public reaction is restrained.