DeSantis Designates CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organizations

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took bold action Monday, signing an executive order that officially designates the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations marking a major escalation in the fight against radical Islamist influence in the United States.

The move comes just weeks after Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a similar order and as President Donald Trump’s administration prepares its own federal designation of the Muslim Brotherhood in “the strongest and most powerful terms.” Together, these moves represent a clear signal that the days of turning a blind eye to Islamist subversion within U.S. borders are over.

“The Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology is irreconcilable with foundational American principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the Florida order states, citing the group’s long track record of terrorism, political assassinations, and its goal of a global Islamic caliphate.

The order goes further, connecting CAIR directly to Hamas, the U.S.-designated terror group responsible for the brutal October 7, 2023 attack in Israel that killed 46 American citizens. It states that CAIR was created by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee—a known Hamas fundraising arm—and notes that CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terror-financing case in American history.

DeSantis’s executive order includes the following directives:

• Florida Highway Patrol is authorized to take “all lawful measures” to prevent unlawful activities by the designated groups.

• All executive and cabinet agencies must block state contracts, employment, funding, or benefits to anyone affiliated with these terrorist organizations.

• The state will identify and deny any privileges to individuals known to provide material support to these groups.

In response, CAIR lashed out, calling the order “defamatory and unconstitutional,” accusing DeSantis of being an “Israel First” politician and threatening legal action.

“Ron DeSantis is an Israel First politician who wants to smear and silence Americans, especially American Muslims,” CAIR-Florida declared. But the facts laid out in the executive order are hard to ignore.

• CAIR was created in 1994 by individuals connected to Hamas.

• Multiple individuals associated with CAIR have been convicted of providing material support to terror groups.

• CAIR has defended or remained silent in the face of violent pro-Hamas protests on college campuses, where some of its supported activists intimidated Jewish students and celebrated October 7.

Governor Abbott has also called on the Trump administration to revoke CAIR’s tax-exempt status, arguing that no organization should enjoy nonprofit privileges while allegedly funneling support to terror-linked causes.

“Charity must not become a backdoor to sponsor terrorism, endanger Americans, and subvert our democracy,” Abbott said in a powerful letter last week.

President Trump, meanwhile, confirmed that the Muslim Brotherhood will soon be officially designated as a terrorist organization at the federal level—a move long resisted by the deep state and foreign policy elites in Washington, many of whom downplay or deny the group’s reach inside the U.S.

As for Governor DeSantis, this executive order reflects the kind of America First leadership that prioritizes national security over political correctness. At a time when radical ideologies are infiltrating government, campuses, and even civil society, decisive action is not only justified—it’s essential.

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