The Lie

• The right has criminalized Islam and targeted Muslims by blacklisting the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Truth

• The Executive Order targets foreign Muslim Brotherhood branches tied to violence after October 7 — not peaceful practicing American Muslims.

Background

• The Muslim Brotherhood is a political movement founded in Egypt in 1928 with branches across the Middle East.
• Hamas explicitly defines itself as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. (Hamas Charter)
• On November 24, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury to begin the process of designating specific Muslim Brotherhood branches as Foreign Terrorist Organizations 

Truth Explained

• The Executive Order is a real shift: for the first time, the United States has begun the legal process to label Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations. No previous administration has taken this step.
  https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-begins-process-to-designate-certain-muslim-brotherhood-chapters-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations-and-specially-designated-global-terrorists/)
  
• The order focuses on foreign branches in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan because these chapters have openly supported violence after the October 7 attacks, including rocket fire alongside Hamas and Hezbollah.
  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-targeting-certain-muslim-brotherhood-chapters-terrorist-groups)
  
• Claims of “Islamophobia” ignore a simple fact: the order does not target Islam or Muslims. It applies to foreign groups with documented ties to violence.
  https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/24/trump-moves-designate-muslim-brotherhood-chapters-terrorists/)
  
• Critics who say the move is “not enough” point out that it does not include powerful Muslim Brotherhood networks in Qatar or Turkey. That is true — but the order’s wording (“chapters such as”) deliberately leaves room to add more branches once the intelligence review is complete. https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/11/24/president-trump-recognizes-certain-muslim-brotherhood-chapters-for-potential-foreign-terrorist-designation/)
  
• The order does not designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). But the state of Texas formally labeled CAIR a terrorist and criminal organization on November 18 2025, and CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest Hamas-financing trial in United States history — which is why many argue more federal action may still be needed. https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1993166014599573844?s=20
  
• Anti-Israel Activists such as Medea Benjamin call this an “attack on Muslim civil rights,” but the order does not name CAIR, does not mention any U.S. mosque or charity, and does not target American Muslims in any way. It applies only to foreign branches tied to Hamas and Hezbollah — nothing more.. https://x.com/medeabenjamin/status/1990905168058089549?s=20
  
• Even Al Jazeera — which opposes the order — confirms why these specific foreign branches were named: their material support for Hamas and Hezbollah during the war.
  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/24/trump-orders-blacklisting-muslim-brotherhood-branches-as-terrorist-groups)
  
• The order triggers a 30-day intelligence review and a 45-day deadline to label qualifying branches as terrorist organizations. This is a first step, and the government can expand designations based on the new evidence collected.
  https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-begins-process-to-designate-certain-muslim-brotherhood-chapters-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations-and-specially-designated-global-terrorists/

Quotes

• “President Trump is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against United States interests and allies.” — White House statement, Nov. 24, 2025
• “The branches in Lebanon and Jordan provided ‘material support to Hamas and Hezbollah’ during the war.” — Al Jazeera, Nov. 24, 2025
• “The named branches joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets.” — Fox News, Nov. 24, 2025

Takeaway 

• This is a long-overdue move against a global network that has fueled extremism for decades — an important first step that must continue. America cannot tolerate terrorism ties.