President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order opening the door for several chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood — including the one that gave rise to Hamas — to be designated as terrorist groups by his administration.
The president’s order “sets in motion a process by which certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood shall be considered for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organizations … and specially designated global terrorists,” according to its text. While the directive does not immediately place labels on any part of the Islamist movement it directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to compile a report on whether any of its chapters “should be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs),” according to a White House fact sheet released Monday.
The order specifically names the Muslim Brotherhood’s chapters in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, stating they “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests.”
“For example, in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel, the military wing of the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets within Israel,” the order continues. “A senior leader of the Egyptian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, on October 7, 2023, called for violent attacks against United States partners and interests, and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leaders have long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas.”
History has been made.
Just moments ago, in the presence of my NSC colleague who helped author the Executive Order, President @realDonaldTrump designated multiple chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the Egyptian branch which is the progenitor of all modern Jihadists,… pic.twitter.com/Ql9CcLhJtF
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) November 24, 2025
Hamas was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which itself emerged from the Egyptian branch. The movement first began in Egypt in 1928.
The executive order gives a 30-day deadline for Rubio and Bessent, after consulting with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to “submit a joint report” to Trump “concerning the designation of any Muslim Brotherhood chapters.” The order then “mandates the Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury take action within 45 days after the report to designate chapters as FTOs and SDGTs if appropriate,” the fact sheet indicates.
“With today’s Order, President Trump is once again taking steps to preserve international peace and stability and keep America safe,” the White House fact sheet adds.
The Trump administration on Monday formally designated Cartel de los Soles, a drug cartel the State Department says is led by socialist Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro as a FTO. The administration in February designated notorious Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua and Salvadoran-American street gang Mara Salvatrucha as FTOs and SDGTs.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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