White House signals Trump support for terror label on Muslim Brotherhood

US President Donald Trump may support a new congressional effort to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said during a press briefing this week.

The renewed push follows a bipartisan proposal introduced in mid-July by Republican Representative Mario Díaz-Canel and Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz, a long-time supporter of the move, has advocated for the designation since 2015 and previously introduced similar bills in the Senate.

Several far-right figures, including Laura Loomer, a close ally of Trump, have also voiced support for the move, which critics say could have far-reaching consequences for political movements across the Middle East and North Africa.

According to The New Arab’s Arabic-language edition, some lawmakers are seeking to link the Muslim Brotherhood to Hamas, which is already designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.

Supporters of the bill argue that the Muslim Brotherhood is a "transnational Islamic organisation that provides support to local branches in countries and regions, as well as to designated and undesignated groups that practice terrorism and pose a direct threat to US national security".

The push to label the Brotherhood as a terrorist group comes despite the fact that thousands of Egyptians have sought asylum in recent years, citing persecution due to alleged affiliations with the movement.

The Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is one of the largest Islamist political organisations in the region. It maintains that it is a peaceful, nonviolent group committed to democratic participation and civic engagement, particularly through social services and charitable work aimed at lower-income communities.

The group has long promoted Islamic values through education and political activism, and in recent years has vocally supported Palestinians during Israel's war on Gaza.

The Muslim Brotherhood has already been designated a terrorist organisation in several countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and, more recently, Jordan.

Jordanian authorities accuse the group of raising illegal funds and plotting attacks on national security. In early 2024, Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani announced the arrest of 16 individuals allegedly involved in such plots, claiming they had been under surveillance since 2021.

The Jordanian General Intelligence Department said the group’s plans involved manufacturing missiles, building drones, and stockpiling explosives and firearms.

The Muslim Brotherhood denied any involvement, stating that those arrested were acting independently and said their efforts were aimed at supporting Palestinians in Gaza.

Critics of the proposed US legislation warn that labelling the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation could undermine political opposition groups in the Arab world and criminalise peaceful activism under the guise of counterterrorism.