Wake up, folks — the newest round of civil liberties theater just premiered. This time, it’s a full-blown White House spectacle centered around “Antifa terror,” featuring a presidential roundtable entirely dedicated to a group that, by every credible account, doesn’t even exist as an organized entity.
At midday, a press release appeared on the official White House website, complete with quotes from anonymous Portland residents — a “man,” a “woman,” and a “business owner.” All three supposedly demanded military intervention in their own city. One even declared, “I kind of support it 110%.” Yes, that’s an actual quote.
That was only the teaser. By 3 p.m., the televised “roundtable” began — and what followed was nothing short of surreal.
President Trump, surrounded by self-styled “independent journalists” (mostly far-right activists), opened with claims that “paid anarchists” are trying to “destroy our country.” He then launched into a tirade suggesting that anti-Trump protesters carry signs made from expensive paper “with beautiful wooden handles,” which, in his words, means they must be produced “in the basements of secretive organizations.” He promised “a lot of records already, a lot of surprises, a lot of bad surprises” for those aligned with anti-fascism.
Oh, and in case anyone forgot, he added that “we got rid of free speech” because flag-burning is bad.
Attorney General Pam Bondi quickly followed, vowing escalation: “We’re not going to stop at just arresting people in the street.” Instead, she promised to “take down the organization brick by brick” and “destroy the organization from top to bottom.”
Then came Kristi Noem — the so-called “puppy killer” herself — claiming Antifa’s goal was to “destroy the American people and their way of life.” She described the movement as one that had “infiltrated our entire country,” spreading “from city to city.” It’s worth noting that most anti-fascist demonstrators in places like Portland and Chicago are, in fact, ordinary Americans.
Still, Noem persisted, calling them “invaders,” “traitors,” and “just as dangerous” as MS13, ISIS, and Hamas. Her goal, she said, was “making sure they never see the light again.” For context, this is the same official who once boasted about “staring down” Antifa — only for footage to show that she had, in fact, been facing a few photographers and a guy dressed as a chicken.
The quotes poured out like a storm. One speaker dramatically declared, “You will be crushed by the Constitution,” as if the Founding Fathers themselves would have endorsed that interpretation.
The room was buzzing with manic energy. Influencer Brandi Kruse shared her “testimony,” claiming she once “suffered from Trump Derangement Syndrome” but now, after switching sides, is “happier, more healthy,” and “even a bit more attractive.”
Then came Jack Posobiec — a name familiar to anyone who recalls the “Pizzagate” fiasco. The same man who once filmed a child’s birthday party inside that pizzeria now insisted Antifa was not only real but ancient: “It has been going on for almost 100 years … going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany.”
Sure, there were indeed anti-fascist activists in Weimar Germany — but those were the people opposing the Nazis. So, aligning yourself against anti-fascists in that analogy doesn’t exactly make for a good look.
At this point, it’s worth grounding ourselves in reality: Antifa, as imagined by MAGA circles, doesn’t exist. There’s no headquarters, no hierarchy, no membership registry. It’s a loosely used term that refers to small, decentralized activists — often invoked by conservatives far more than by the people allegedly part of it.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the White House from labeling “Antifa” a terrorist organization weeks ago.
In truth, studies consistently show that most politically motivated violence in the U.S. stems from far-right extremists, not from these so-called “Antifa networks.” Yet MAGA’s worldview has drifted so far from observable fact that it’s now hosting official government events targeting imaginary enemies. Once, conservatism prided itself on “realism.” Today, it resembles fan fiction — complete with fantasy villains and invented lore.
This obsessive myth-making consumes the energy that could be used to tackle real issues like wages, housing, or climate change. Instead, we get dramatics about shadowy anarchists who mostly exist in rhetoric. And that myth conveniently provides an excuse to send armed officers into cities that didn’t vote red.
The threats voiced during this meeting — aimed at supposed “funders” of Antifa — are the core of it. The point isn’t public safety; it’s intimidation. The administration’s message is clear: dissenters should stay silent.
Inside that ornate room, with their microphones and their carefully painted faces, a cluster of powerful figures participated in a shared delusion. They want the rest of America to believe it, too. But some truths remain immovable: opposing anti-fascism means embracing fascism. Even — and especially — in the Weimar Republic. That’s just basic history.
