Trump’s Counterterrorism Strategy: What You Need To Know
Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter
Last week, the Trump administration released their new counterterrorism strategy. It delineates “three major types of terror groups” that the government will focus on targeting: “narcoterrorists and transnational gangs,” “legacy Islamic terrorists” and “violent left-wing extremists, including anarchists and anti-fascists.” That last one is a new addition by Trump and a stark departure from the Biden administration’s strategy, which was much more focused on far-right extremism and called white supremacy—which is not mentioned a single time in Trump’s strategy—the “most dangerous terrorist threat” to America
This new approach continues a troubling escalation of the administration’s threats to target trans people with the tools of counterterrorism. The document describes the ideology of so-called “violent left-wing extremists” as “anti-American” and “radically pro-transgender,” citing the long-debunked claim that Charlie Kirk was assassinated by “a radical who espoused extreme transgender ideologies.”
The entire strategy is rooted in pure politics—the overwhelming majority of mass shooters are cisgender men, and attacks by far-right extremists are far more prevalent in the U.S. than those by left-wing or Islamic groups, according to a study that the Department of Justice (DOJ) quietly removed from their website days after the killing of Kirk.
While the strategy promises to “use all the tools constitutionally available to us to map [left-wing extremist groups] at home, identify their membership, map their ties to international organizations like Antifa, and use law enforcement tools to cripple them operationally before they can maim or kill the innocent,” it remains unclear what exactly this will look like. Here’s a timeline of what we know so far:
Aug. 27, 2025: After the perpetrator of a mass shooting in Minneapolis killed two children and injured 17 others is revealed to be trans, right-wing figureheads, including Trump administration assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon, promote the narrative that trans people are violent extremists.
Dhillon implies that gender-affirming healthcare could inspire violence, stating that “pumping a child full of drugs that purport to change their gender identity has numerous side effects.”
Sept. 10, 2025: Charlie Kirk is assassinated. While the killer is cisgender, early reports mistakenly claim that his bullets were engraved with “transgender ideology,” leading prominent conservatives to blame trans people for the shooting.
Sept. 18, 2025: The Heritage Foundation, whose leaders wrote Project 2025 and are close allies of the Trump administration, urge the FBI to create a new terrorism category called “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism” (TIVE).
Sept. 20, 2025: Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein releases a leaked Customs and Border Patrol intelligence brief on Zizians, a group they describe as a “Radical Leftist Trans Militant Cult.”
Sept. 22, 2025: Trump signs an executive order designating Antifa, a decentralized movement focused on militant opposition to fascism, as the first ever “domestic terrorist organization.” Because there is no singular Antifa organization, advocates warn that this could be used to target left-wing organizations broadly.
Sept. 25, 2025: Trump releases National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), which directs intelligence agencies to investigate left-wing political organizations for their involvement in domestic terrorism. The memo singles out “extremism on migration, race, and gender” as particular targets.
Dec. 6, 2025: A leaked memo from the DOJ reveals that the FBI is working on “a list of groups or entities engaging in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism,” with a focus on groups with progressive views, including “adherence to radical gender ideology.”
March 13, 2026: Nine activists are convicted of charges including providing material support to terrorists for their participation in an anti-ICE protest where a police officer was killed. The DOJ claims the group were part of an “Antifa cell,” and while two of the people convicted are trans women, this was not outwardly cited as a reason to suspect them of terrorism.
Apr. 5, 2026: A budget request from the FBI reveals that the agency runs a new “NSPM-7 Joint Mission Center” with the goal of “proactively” investigating and prosecuting “domestic terrorists.” “Extremism on gender” is once again mentioned as a targeted belief.
May 6, 2026: The Trump administration releases its new counterterrorism strategy.
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We had our first Canadian fundraiser on Tuesday at Toronto’s Royal Canadian Yacht Club! The event was a wild success, and we’re grateful to everyone who turned out. We wanted to extend special thanks to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who came out to celebrate Uncloseted’s first event in the country. We’ll be sharing pictures from the event soon. And if you’re still looking to donate, you can do so here:
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Jason Collins has passed away, leaving behind a legacy of excellence, courage and inspiration unmatched by any before him.
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19-year-old transgender University of Washington student fatally stabbed (The Advocate)
The suspect remains at large.
Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:
🆕 SATURDAY: Uncloseted’s Nico DiAlesandro and Hankycode’s Rebecca team up to track the full history of Focus on the Family, one of the most long-running and influential groups on the anti-LGBTQ Christian right.
🆕 WEDNESDAY: On the next episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Spencer sits down with psychologist Arie Kruglanski to discuss the implications of labeling trans people as a terrorist threat for the community’s well-being.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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