President Donald Trump has issued a memorandum ordering United States (US) law enforcement and financial authorities to shift their approach to domestic terrorism. The directive, released by the White House this week, calls for a move away from individual case-by-case prosecutions toward a system that is able to target the networks, organizations, and funding sources behind political violence.

The document cites recent assassinations, riots, and attacks on federal officers as evidence that violence is being driven by “sophisticated, organized campaigns” rather than isolated actors. It frames these actions as deliberate attempts to silence political speech and disrupt democratic functions, and warns that without a new strategy the threat will continue to escalate.

At the center of the plan are the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs), which will coordinate a national effort to investigate not only individuals who carry out attacks but also the recruiters, funders, and organizations that enable them. The Justice Department has been told to prosecute every relevant federal crime “to the maximum extent permissible by law,” with special emphasis on offenses such as doxing campaigns, swatting, riots, and organized intimidation.

The order also brings financial enforcement into the picture. The Treasury Department’s terrorism finance unit is instructed to trace and disrupt illicit funding streams, while the Internal Revenue Service must ensure that no tax-exempt organization is supporting political violence. Suspected violations are to be referred to the Justice Department for investigation and possible prosecution.

Law enforcement agencies are further directed to treat political violence as they would organized crime, questioning suspects about their sponsors and adopting strategies designed to dismantle entire networks. The memorandum also designates domestic terrorism as a national priority area, making new federal grants available to help agencies detect and prevent related threats.

Politically, the White House places blame on movements it describes as self-styled “anti-fascist,” portraying them as using ideology to justify violence against institutions, officials, and constitutional rights. By tying recent attacks to this framing, the administration signals that ideology, organization, and financing will all be treated as part of the same criminal enterprise.

In practical terms, the move means broader federal investigations, greater scrutiny of non-profit groups, tighter oversight of financial flows, and more enterprise-style prosecutions. The administration argues that dismantling networks upstream is necessary to prevent future attacks, saying the new posture is designed to “disband and uproot” organizations that use violence and intimidation to shape political outcomes.