The Trump administration said it would focus its resources on combating left-wing terrorists.

(Washington, D.C.) The Trump administration has issued a stern condemnation of left-wing extremists, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for global cooperation to combat these “newly risen old demons.”

The U.S. State Department held a ministerial meeting on Thursday (July 16) with officials from more than 60 countries, from Europe to Asia. In his speech at the meeting, Rubio pointed out that counterterrorism efforts after 9/11 focused on Islamic jihadist organizations, leaving far-left terrorism a blind spot.

He said, "Today, when people talk about the possibility that far-left terrorism poses a serious threat, this view is accused of being right-wing delusion, or even worse, of being a dangerous fascist conspiracy." In response, the United States will adjust its international counterterrorism efforts to focus on dealing with "far-left terrorists."

The meeting drew attention from Democrats, who accused the Trump administration of politicizing counterterrorism efforts and diverting resources away from dealing with other extremist threats.

Rubio stated that far-left terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States have been increasing since 2016, but he and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller, who was also present, seemed to selectively ignore the fact that far-right violence has posed a greater challenge to the United States over the past 30 years.

A 2025 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, points out that while left-wing terrorist attacks and related conspiracies have increased over the past decade, right-wing violence has posed a more serious problem in the United States over the past 30 years.

The Trump administration specifically targeted the European continent, calling it a "breeding ground for terrorism." According to the U.S. State Department, there were 21 attacks by far-left and anarchist terrorists in the EU in 2024, compared to 24 attacks by jihadists.

Source: [Lianhe Zaobao] (https://www.zaobao.com/news/world/story20260717-9379516)