Trump Designates Controversial Branch of Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization

President Trump’s executive order targets Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist organizations, potentially crippling the network behind Hamas and other jihadist threats.

Story Snapshot

Trump signs Executive Order 14362 on November 24, 2025, kickstarting designations of MB chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as FTOs and SDGTs.
By January 2026, State Department labels Lebanese MB and leader Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh as terrorists; Treasury follows with financial sanctions.
Action builds on bipartisan congressional bills and allies’ prior MB terror labels, avoiding full global designation due to scale.
Short-term impacts include asset freezes and travel bans; long-term precedent expands U.S. tools against diffuse terror networks.
MB framed as progenitor of Hamas, with ties to ISIS and al-Qaeda asserted, prioritizing American security and ally stability.

Executive Order Launches Designation Process

President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14362 on November 24, 2025. The order directs Secretaries of State and Treasury, consulting Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence, to report within 30 days on designating Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. These fall under Foreign Terrorist Organizations via 8 U.S.C. 1189 and Specially Designated Global Terrorists per 50 U.S.C. 1702 and Executive Order 13224. Trump targets MB’s terror links, especially Hamas as its offshoot designated since 1997. This systematic approach differs from past individual sanctions.

State and Treasury Execute Swift Designations

U.S. State Department designated Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, known as al-Jamaa al-Islamiyah, and Secretary General Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh as FTO and SDGT in January 2026. Treasury Department concurrently labeled MB branches terrorist organizations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated MB’s longstanding terror record demands full authorities to disrupt networks and financing. These moves fulfill the 30-day EO mandate, focusing financial disruption and immigration enforcement. Bipartisan support from Congress aligns with this security priority.

Muslim Brotherhood’s Historical Threat Profile

Founded in 1928 in Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood operates as a transnational Islamist movement across over 70 countries. It promotes political Islam and spawns violent offshoots like Hamas. U.S. allies including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and UAE already designate MB as terrorists. Prior Trump efforts from 2017-2021 stalled, but second-term action revives them amid recent designations of Houthis, cartels, and Antifa. Congressional hearings underscore MB’s global threat through terror affiliates. Facts support designating branches without tackling the entire decentralized entity.

Bipartisan Congressional Push Strengthens Case

Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) reintroduced the 2025 Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act via Friends of Egypt Caucus. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) backs it, citing MB support for Hamas after October 7, 2023 attacks and aims to overthrow non-Islamist governments. Bills mandate FTO, SDGT, and embargoes blocking U.S. funds. Díaz-Balart emphasizes prohibiting dollars from enabling MB activities. This rare bipartisan effort reflects common-sense security aligning with conservative values of protecting allies like Israel and Egypt.

Immediate and Strategic Impacts Unfold

Designations trigger short-term financial freezes, travel bans, and asset seizures for targeted chapters, slashing MB funding. U.S. allies gain from enhanced stability; financial sectors enforce SDGT compliance, scrutinizing linked NGOs. Long-term, precedents target diffuse networks like Antifa, bolstering Trump’s counterterrorism agenda. Potential strains arise if overreach perceived, but operational gains against offshoots outweigh risks. Muslim communities face no direct targeting, focusing solely on terror-linked branches.