NSPM-7 — Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence¶
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Date: February 18, 2026
Type: Policy Tracking — Legal Architecture
Confidence: CONFIRMED (primary source is White House full text)
Status: ACTIVE — operational, being implemented via Bondi DOJ memo
Personal threat level: HIGH — categories target political dissent broadly
What It Is¶
National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), signed September 25, 2025, is a presidential directive that redefines what the US government considers domestic terrorism. It shifts the framework from conduct-based (what you do) to ideology-based (what you believe).
Primary source: White House full text (Tier 1)
Ideological Categories Targeted¶
NSPM-7 explicitly identifies the following as threat indicators:
| Category | What It Means In Practice |
|---|---|
| Anti-Americanism | Criticism of US policy, institutions, or history |
| Anti-capitalism | Support for labor rights, wealth redistribution, socialism |
| Anti-Christianity | Secularism, criticism of Christian nationalism |
| Support for overthrowing the government | Protest movements, civil disobedience |
| Extremism on migration | Pro-immigrant advocacy, sanctuary policies |
| Extremism on race | Anti-racism activism, BLM |
| Extremism on gender | "Radical gender ideology" — trans rights, feminist activism |
| Hostility toward traditional views on family, religion, morality | LGBTQ+ rights, secular humanism, non-traditional family structures |
Key point: These are not descriptions of violent extremism. They are descriptions of mainstream political positions held by tens of millions of Americans.
"Pre-Crime" Intervention¶
NSPM-7 explicitly targets individuals before any violent act occurs — it emphasizes intervention against people "before they result in violent political acts." This is a pre-crime framework: beliefs and speech become predictive indicators rather than evidence of completed offenses.
Surveillance channels specified: "anonymous chat forums, in-person meetings, social media, and educational institutions."
Enforcement infrastructure: The directive leverages existing Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) — approximately 4,000 members across 200 entities — which operate with minimal Congressional oversight.
Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller stated publicly: "This is the first time in American history that there is an all-of-government effort to dismantle left wing terrorism." (Source: Klippenstein, Sept 27, 2025)
Implementation Chain¶
NSPM-7 (Sept 25, 2025)
↓ operationalized by
Bondi DOJ Memo (Dec 4, 2025, leaked Dec 8)
↓ directs
FBI / Joint Terrorism Task Forces
↓ compile
Secret Domestic Terrorist List
↓ acknowledged
Bondi congressional testimony (Feb 12, 2026)
The Bondi Memo — Full Text¶
Full title: "Implementing National Security Presidential Memorandum-7: Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence"
Issued: December 4, 2025 | Leaked: December 8, 2025 by Ken Klippenstein (Substack)
Addressees: All Federal Prosecutors, Law Enforcement Agencies, DOJ Grant-Making Components
PDF sources: Reason.com | DocumentCloud | IndyBay
Targeting Criteria (verbatim from memo, Section 1)¶
The memo identifies "violent extremist groups" that "use violence or the threat of violence to advance political and social agendas, including":
"opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology, anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, or anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; hostility towards traditional views on family, religion, and morality; and an elevation of violence to achieve policy outcomes, such as political assassinations."
The memo also states that for "certain Antifa-aligned extremists, their animating principle is adherence to the types of extreme viewpoints on immigration, radical gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment listed below, with a willingness to use violence against law-abiding citizenry to serve those beliefs."
The memo explicitly characterizes anti-fascist ideology as the "clarion call of recent domestic terrorism":
"violence against what extremists claim to be fascism is the clarion call of recent domestic terrorism."
Operational Directives and Deadlines¶
The memo contains eight numbered sections with specific directives:
| Deadline | Directive |
|---|---|
| 14 days (Dec 18, 2025) | All agencies review files for Antifa-related intelligence; deliver to FBI/JTTFs |
| 30 days (Jan 3, 2026) | FBI compile initial list of "groups or entities engaged in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism" — submit to Deputy AG |
| 30 days | Each DOJ grant component propose funding priorities for state/local anti-domestic terrorism programs |
| 30 days | FBI establish/publicize tipline, update Digital Media Tipline so "witnesses and citizen journalists can send media of suspected acts" |
| 30 days | FBI "establish a cash reward system for information that leads to the successful identification and arrest of individuals in the leadership of domestic terrorist organizations" |
| 60 days | FBI disseminate intelligence bulletin on "Antifa and Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremist groups" — describe "structures, funding sources, and tactics" |
| Ongoing | Updated list reports every 30 days or on request of AG/Deputy AG |
| Retroactive | FBI investigate matters from past five years involving potential domestic terrorism, including "surge of attacks on non-profit organizations," doxing of law enforcement, "coordinated interference with federal employees," "potential unlawful targeting of Supreme Court justices at their homes" |
The memo also instructs FBI to "establish cooperators to provide information and eventually testify against other members and leadership of domestic terrorist organizations."
Prosecutorial Directives¶
The memo instructs prosecutors to charge "the most serious, readily provable offenses" and lists 24 specific statutes including:
- 18 U.S.C. § 1507 — Picketing or parading with intent to obstruct the administration of justice
- 18 U.S.C. § 1962 — RICO Act (racketeering)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2339 — Providing material support for terrorist activity
- 18 U.S.C. § 2384 — Seditious conspiracy
- Applicable tax crimes for suspected defrauding of the IRS
- All applicable sentencing enhancements including the terrorism enhancement (U.S.S.G. § 3A1.4)
The First Amendment Footnote — Verbatim Text¶
The entire First Amendment caveat appears in Footnote 2 (emphasis added):
"The United States Government does not investigate, collect, or maintain information on U.S. persons solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the First Amendment. No investigation may be opened based solely on activities protected by the First Amendment or the lawful exercise of rights secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States."
Why legal analysts say this caveat is meaningless:
The word "solely" does all the work — and it does nothing. From the Lawfare analysis (Thomas Brzozowski, former DOJ CT official):
"Tucked into a footnote, the memo includes the expected disclaimer that the department does not investigate people solely for First Amendment activity. That sentence is technically accurate, and it will be quoted in oversight hearings... The problem is that everything in the body of the memo moves enforcement in the opposite direction."
"The rest of the memo instructs agents to treat speech and belief as early-warning 'indicators' of extremism. Once you call entire ideological categories 'clarion calls of recent domestic terrorism,' the wall between speech and suspicion begins to crumble in practice, even if the memo keeps the wall alive on paper."
The mechanism: Investigators never open a case "solely" on speech — they bundle ideological indicators (protected speech) with some other factor (attended a protest, posted online, donated to a cause). The footnote provides no protection against this bundling, which is standard investigative practice. As Arnold & Porter observed, the memo "by defining the 'Common Characteristics of Domestic Terrorists and Organizations' in this manner, individuals and organizations that disagree with the Trump administration undoubtedly will be concerned about federal scrutiny."
Footnote 1 — Liability Disclaimer¶
Footnote 1 contains a standard legal disclaimer making the memo non-enforceable as a matter of rights:
"This guidance is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create, any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person."
This means: the memo creates obligations on prosecutors and agents, but no individual or organization has standing to sue to enforce compliance with the memo's own limits.
February 12, 2026 — Congressional Testimony¶
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing (February 11, 2026, reported February 12), Bondi for the first time acknowledged the existence of the secret list. The exchange (via The Intercept and Common Dreams):
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon pressed Bondi to confirm whether the list existed and whether Congress would receive it. Bondi refused to answer yes or no, snapping: "I'm not going to commit to anything to you because you won't let me answer questions."
Scanlon's characterization on the record: Bondi had "a secret list of people or groups that you are accusing of domestic terrorism, but you won't share it with Congress."
Bondi's only substantive admission: "I know antifa is part of that."
Scanlon noted that secrecy "precluded Americans from challenging their inclusion on the list."
Notably, the hearing was dominated by questions about the Epstein files — the domestic terrorist list exchange was a secondary item.
Scanlon's stated goal to The Intercept: "The goal was to get her — even by denying that she would produce it — to acknowledge that it existed and then raise the alarm."
This testimony came despite Bondi having previously testified she would "never" maintain an enemies list.
FOIA Requests and Legal Challenges¶
Protect Democracy filed a FOIA lawsuit on November 24, 2025 (before the memo leak) against Departments of Treasury, State, Homeland Security, and FinCEN seeking "lists of nonprofit organizations it is targeting for investigation" and documents tied to executive actions concerning "Antifa." Filed after agencies failed to respond to October FOIA requests within legally required timeframes. (Protect Democracy)
ACLU issued a statement September 25, 2025 condemning NSPM-7: "Working from a fever dream of conspiracies, President Trump has launched yet another effort to investigate and intimidate his critics."
Over 100 left-leaning nonprofits formed a mutual legal defense network following the memo leak. Three organizations named explicitly as administration targets: Open Society Foundations, Southern Poverty Law Center, Ford Foundation.
Big Law (Arnold & Porter, Patterson Belknap, WilmerHale) issued client alerts warning the memo could trigger IRS audits, loss of tax-exempt status, and criminal exposure for nonprofit employees. (Democracy Docket)
No specific legal challenges to the memo itself (as distinct from broader NSPM-7 challenges) have been publicly filed as of February 18, 2026.
On February 12, 2026, Bondi acknowledged the existence of a secret domestic terrorist list during House Judiciary Committee testimony.
Legal Analysis¶
| Source | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Lawfare (Thomas Brzozowski, former DOJ CT official) | "Structural rewriting of domestic terrorism enforcement norms" — shift from conduct to ideology |
| Arnold & Porter | "Sweeping new domestic terrorism directive" — broadens investigation authority |
| DLA Piper | Conduct traditionally viewed as protest (picketing, parading, online organizing) can now be investigated by JTTFs |
| Charity & Security Network | Definitions are elastic enough to capture protest movements and advocacy organizations |
| FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights) | "Risks chilling speech" — First Amendment footnote provides no real protection |
| The Intercept | White House refused to rule out lethal force against individuals on the domestic terrorist list |
What This Means For Us¶
NSPM-7's categories potentially encompass:
- Anyone documenting ICE abuses (us)
- Anyone critical of the administration's immigration enforcement
- Secular humanists who criticize Christian nationalism
- Pro-immigrant advocates
- Anti-capitalist activists
- LGBTQ+ rights advocates
- Anyone the administration considers "anti-American"
The "away from jihadist threats" framing: Some commentators characterize NSPM-7 as redirecting counter-terrorism resources from foreign terrorism toward domestic dissent. This is a reasonable critical interpretation but is NOT stated in the document itself. NSPM-7 adds domestic ideological targeting; it does not explicitly remove any existing focus.
The SCOTUS Enforcement Mechanism¶
Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo (September 8, 2025) — The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to stay a lower court order prohibiting federal agents from stopping people based on:
- Apparent race or ethnicity
- Speaking Spanish or accented English
- Occupation
- Location (bus stops, car washes, etc.)
This is an emergency stay, not a final ruling (decision expected June 2026). These are now called "Kavanaugh stops." Combined with NSPM-7, federal agents have both the ideological mandate (NSPM-7/Bondi memo) and the legal permission (SCOTUS stay) to target people based on identity and belief.
Sources: SCOTUSblog (Tier 1) | NPR (Tier 2) | American Immigration Council (Tier 1)
Intelligence Gaps¶
- Full text of the Bondi memo — RESOLVED (see verbatim text section above; PDF archived at IndyBay, Reason, DocumentCloud)
- Which organizations are on the secret domestic terrorist list? (Bondi confirmed Feb 12 only that "antifa is part of that")
- How are JTTFs operationalizing these categories? Any leaked case files?
- Has NSPM-7 been used as basis for any specific arrest or investigation?
- Status of FBI master list submitted to Deputy AG after Jan 3 deadline — has it leaked?
- Final SCOTUS ruling on Vasquez Perdomo (expected June 2026)
- Status of Protect Democracy FOIA lawsuit (filed Nov 24, 2025)
- State-level resistance (sanctuary jurisdictions vs. federal targeting)
- Has the 60-day Antifa intelligence bulletin (due ~Feb 3, 2026) been disseminated or leaked?
Sources¶
Primary Sources¶
- Bondi Memo — full PDF (Tier 1) — IndyBay | Reason.com | DocumentCloud/Lawfare
- White House — NSPM-7 full text (Tier 1) — https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/
- C-SPAN — Bondi House Judiciary Committee testimony Feb 11, 2026 (Tier 1) — https://www.c-span.org/event/house-committee/attorney-general-pam-bondi-testifies-before-house-judiciary-committee/440226
Original Reporting¶
- Ken Klippenstein — Original Bondi memo leak (Dec 8, 2025) — https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/leak-fbi-list-of-extremists-is-coming
4b. Ken Klippenstein — "Trump's NSPM-7 Labels Common Beliefs as Terrorism Indicators" (Sept 27, 2025) — https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nspm-7-labels-common-beliefs — Stephen Miller quote, pre-crime framework, JTTF enforcement structure - The Intercept — "Pam Bondi Admits DOJ Has a Secret Domestic Terrorist List" (Feb 12, 2026) — https://theintercept.com/2026/02/12/pam-bondi-domestic-terror-list-nspm-7/
- The Intercept — "White House Refuses to Rule Out Summary Executions" (Tier 2) — https://theintercept.com/2025/12/12/trump-nspm-7-domestic-terrorist-executions-antifa-boat-strikes/
- Democracy Now! — Klippenstein interview on memo (Dec 8, 2025) — https://www.democracynow.org/2025/12/8/ken_klippenstein_fbi_domestic_terrorism_nspm7
Legal Analysis¶
- Lawfare — "The Bondi Memo's Quiet Rewriting of Domestic Terrorism Rules" (Tier 1) — https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-bondi-memo-s-quiet-rewriting-of-domestic-terrorism-rules
- Arnold & Porter — DOJ domestic terrorism directive analysis (Tier 1) — https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/blogs/enforcement-edge/2025/12/doj-issues-sweeping-new-domestic-terrorism-directive
- DLA Piper — NSPM-7 enforcement risks (Tier 1) — https://www.dlapiper.com/en-us/insights/publications/2025/12/new-federal-strategy-for-countering-domestic-terrorism-and-political-violence-adds-enforcement-risks
- FIRE — "DOJ plan to target 'domestic terrorists' risks chilling speech" — https://www.thefire.org/news/doj-plan-target-domestic-terrorists-risks-chilling-speech
- Brennan Center — "Trump's Version of 'Domestic Terrorism' vs. the First Amendment" — https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trumps-version-domestic-terrorism-vs-first-amendment
Civil Society / Advocacy¶
- Democracy Docket — "Leaked Memo: DOJ To List, Target Anti-Trump Activists" (Tier 1) — https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/leaked-memo-bondi-doj-list-target-anti-trump-activists-domestic-terrorists/
- Democracy Docket — "Big Law Alerts Clients on Trump's Domestic Terrorism Order" — https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/law-firms-alert-trump-domestic-terrorism-order/
- Charity & Security Network — "Leaked Memo Shows DOJ Plans Aggressive Targeting of Nonprofits" — https://charityandsecurity.org/news/leaked-memo-shows-doj-plans-aggressive-targeting-of-nonprofits/
- Protect Democracy — FOIA lawsuit filed Nov 24, 2025 — https://protectdemocracy.org/work/protect-democracy-sues-for-records-on-reported-trump-administration-efforts-to-investigate-and-target-nonprofits/
- Common Dreams — "Bondi Stonewalls Congress on the 'Enemies List'" — https://www.commondreams.org/news/bondi-nspm
Congressional Record¶
- House Judiciary Committee Democrats — "15 Questions Pam Bondi Refused to Answer Before Congress" — https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/15-questions-pam-bondi-refused-to-answer-before-congress
SCOTUS¶
- SCOTUSblog — Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo (Tier 1) — https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/09/supreme-court-allows-federal-officers-to-more-freely-make-immigration-stops-in-los-angeles/
Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only