The memorandum was subsequently cited in a September 29, 2025, memorandum by the United States Attorney GeneralPam Bondi titled "Ending Political Violence AgainstICE".[5]
The memorandum targets "Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence", including "Anti-Capitalist", "Anti-Christianity", and "Anti-American" views.[1][6]
The order directs investigation into "networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence" by theFBI'sJoint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).[6]
TheBrennan Center for Justice found numerous flaws in an analysis of NSPM-7 along with a concomitant presidential order: "Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization".[7] The Brennan report concluded "both the order and the memo are ungrounded in fact and law."[8] Among the criticisms:
Regarding the legal basis, the Brennan report calls out "the failure to cite any statute or constitutional provision in support of the president’s action." The authors claim the president has no authority to declare domestic terrorist organizations, noting that the laws and Supreme Court decisions authorizing declaration of foreign terrorist organizations had ruled out domestic designations.[8]
Regarding the factual basis, the Brennan report notes that the "cherry-picked" incidents of violence were not coordinated campaigns of violence and intimidation, as the NSPM memo was constructed to address.[8]
Regarding the scope of the orders, the Brennan Center report says that the orders could target a broad range of disfavored groups and views, encompassing "everyone from labor organizers, socialists, many libertarians, those who criticize Christianity, pro-immigration groups, anti-ICE protestors, and racial justice and transgender activists, to anyone who holds views that the administration considers to be 'anti-American.'"[8]
On September 25, 2025, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement condemning the directive, with ACLU's National Security Project director writing "Working from a fever dream of conspiracies, President Trump has launched yet another effort to investigate and intimidate his critics."[9]
On September 26, 2025,Human Rights Watch acting executive director Federico Borello issued a statement writing that "President Trump’s order mobilizing federal law enforcement to investigate perceived opponents of his administration turns reality on its head".[10] On the same day, theNational Coalition Against Censorship characterized the directive as a "blueprint for law enforcement to cast a wide net in the name of terrorism and political violence, but it is unmistakable in targeting political opponents in its crosshairs".[11]
In a newsletter, Democratic CongressmanRo Khanna described the memorandum as "one of his most dangerous power grabs yet", referring to Trump.[13] Khanna likewise added "The goal is to silence people and groups by threatening retaliation."[6]
An open letter signed by over 3,000 NGOs opposed the directive.[14]
National security journalistFred Kaplan wrote that Trump is "laying the groundwork for apolice state" with NSPM-7, "[T]he clearest statement of Trump's intentions."[16]
