A top FBI official toed the White House line about antifa as a major domestic terror threat at a House hearing on Thursday — but he struggled to answer questions about the leaderless movement.

Pressed repeatedly by a top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee about antifa’s size and location, the operations director of the FBI’s national security division didn’t have answers.

At one point, the FBI’s Michael Glasheen fumbled with his hands as he tried to find an answer for the question from Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

“Well, the investigations are active,” Glasheen said.

Glasheen’s comments came three months after President Donald Trump proclaimed that antifa is a “major terror organization,” even though it the broad political movement does not have a hierarchy or leadership.

Trump followed his designation with a presidential memo on September 25 directing the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces to investigate and prosecute antifascists and other adherents of “anti-Americanism.”

The formless nature of the antifascist movement, however, appears to have flummoxed the FBI as it attempts to carry out Trump’s orders.

Glasheen called antifa “our primary concern right now” and called it “the most immediate, violent threat” from domestic terrorists. That led Thompson to ask him where antifa is located and how many members it has.

“We are building out the infrastructure right now,” Glasheen said.

“So what does that mean?” Thompson shot back. “I’m just — we’re trying to get the information. You said antifa is a terrorist organization. Tell us, as a committee, how did you come to that? Where do they exist? How many members do they have in the United States as of right now?”

“Well, that’s very fluid,” Glasheen said. “It’s ongoing for us to understand that. The same, no different than Al Qaeda or ISIS.”

Glasheen visibly struggled to answer the question before saying that the FBI’s investigations were “active.”

  • KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca
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    12 hours ago

    The really nice thing about Antifa is if anyone mentions Antifa as a group of people at a thing causing trouble, I instantly know that person is a drooling, fucking idiot.

    Antifa is the new pizzagate.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      The conservative media reaction to J6 was to proclaim everyone involved as Antifa. It’s just reflexive for the party organs at this point.

      If you’re opposed, you’re a terrorist.

      If you’re not enthusiastic, you’re a terrorist.

      If you’re embarrassing, you’re a terrorist

  • anugeshtu@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Holy shit, this is getting wilder and wilder. What’s next on the dystopian agenda? Burning all books considered as “woke”? Having everybody not voting for Trump wear some kind of marker? Censoring anything having another ideology and imprison (or worse) anybody trying to spread that information? Declaring prescription drugs as weapons of mass destruction? Oh, wait.

  • Chaotic Entropy@feddit.uk
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    12 hours ago

    Anti-Facism is the greatest threat facing Trump’s America… and please don’t read any further in that.

  • SabinStargem@lemmy.today
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    11 hours ago

    I know where they are, and the numbers: Arlington, about 400,000 strong. One of them might be Glasheen’s grandfather, who probably regrets not wearing a Service-issued condom.

    • ameancow@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      99% of every official pushing this narrative know exactly what they’re doing and how stupid it is, they’re performing for an audience of drooling idiots who DO think there are secret bunkers of Antifa ninjas jumping through tire hoops and swinging on ropes over firepits training for the day they all receive coordinated instructions to break into old people’s houses and take all their medicine and eat their dogs.

  • Sam_Bass@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    Approx. 270 million members with headquarters at the corner of East and Capitol vstreets Washington, d.c. 20510

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    9 hours ago

    All right, fine. We meet at my place on Tuesdays. Every third Saturday is Activity Club and we vote on the event the meeting before. Last month was bowling. This month we’re taking a tour of a working farm that lets you milk their cows.

    Sorry for all the confusion, everyone. We aim to operate with complete transparency from now on.

  • 0x0@lemmy.zip
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    14 hours ago

    How Many Members Does Anti Fascism Have? Where Is Anti Fascism’s Headquarters? The FBI Has No Answers. Go figure…

  • tym@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    One simple question should be asked: “What does Antifa stand for?”

    Followed by “What is the definition of fascism?”

    Followed by “So you’re saying the current administration is fascist then? Please elaborate on why “A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism” isn’t a turrorist organization again?”