Rubio Says US Moving to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as Terror Group
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the Trump administration is advancing plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, citing the group’s ties to Hamas and other extremist factions.
In an interview on the Sid and Friends in the Morning radio program, Rubio confirmed that the process is “in the works” but described significant legal and bureaucratic hurdles. Because the Brotherhood operates through multiple regional branches, each must be formally designated. “All of those things are in the process,” he said. “We have to be very careful, because these things will be challenged in court. You have to show your work like a math problem.”
Rubio noted that before becoming secretary of state, he had not fully appreciated the procedural requirements for such listings, which can be blocked by federal judges issuing nationwide injunctions. “All you need is one federal judge—and there are plenty—that are willing to basically try to run the country from the bench,” he said.
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The push comes as Republican lawmakers renew legislative efforts to target the Brotherhood. In July, Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and others introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, citing the group’s ideological support for Hamas, which carried out the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed and abducted both Israelis and Americans. The measure has bipartisan backing in the House, including Democrats Jared Moskowitz, Tom Suozzi, and Josh Gottheimer.
Supporters of the designation argue that the Brotherhood has a documented record of promoting terrorism and that US allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and France have already taken similar steps.
Rubio also addressed the broader conflict in Gaza, reiterating that Hamas must be dismantled to achieve lasting peace. “You can have a ceasefire for 30, 60, 90 days. You will not have peace in Gaza as long as Hamas exists,” he said, dismissing recent European statements on Palestinian statehood as “symbolic” moves driven by domestic politics.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which was also mentioned in the interview, did not respond to a request for comment.
