The Hidden Reality of Antifa: A Journalist’s Perspective
In recent weeks, as discussions about political violence in America intensify, many liberal commentators and media networks have downplayed concerns about Antifa, often characterizing it merely as an “ideology” rather than an organized movement. Journalist Andy Ngo, who has extensively covered Antifa activities for nine years, strongly challenges this narrative. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Ngo argued that dismissing Antifa as just an ideology serves to provide cover for a group that functions as “shock troops” for leftist causes. “It is an ideology, but Neo-Nazis organize around an ideology, jihadists organize around an ideology, so what’s your point really?” Ngo questioned. He explained that those minimizing Antifa’s organizational structure often share the same enemies and desire the same outcomes—the dismantling of institutions and the silencing of political opposition through intimidation.
For those who doubt the existence of organized Antifa networks, Ngo points to documented evidence of their coordinated activities. He references his own experience from June 2019, when masked individuals carrying weapons attacked him in what appeared to be a coordinated assault. No arrests were ever made for this attack. Ngo also mentioned the 2020 shooting of Aaron Danielson, a Trump supporter in Portland, whose killer left behind a manifesto explicitly stating, “I am 100% Antifa.” Recently, Ngo participated in a White House roundtable hosted by President Trump, who last month issued an executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The event brought together independent journalists who have documented Antifa violence firsthand, many of whom have faced significant personal risk in their reporting.
Reflecting on the White House meeting, Ngo expressed gratitude for the administration’s recognition of journalists who have covered Antifa violence with little support from mainstream media or elected officials. “I’ve been reporting on Antifa now for about nine years, and for some of that time it did feel like I was reporting on something that nobody who could do something about it would listen,” he shared. The event was also emotionally significant for Ngo, whose father, a Vietnamese refugee who fled communism, passed away earlier this year. “I wish he had been around to see that,” Ngo said, noting the poignant connection between his family’s escape from communism and his work exposing what he describes as far-left militancy in America.
Ngo’s family history provides relevant context to the current Antifa discussion, as he draws parallels between historical communist movements and today’s radical left activities in the United States. “For a century now, communists and anarchists, particularly in Europe, have engaged in violent acts that have sparked revolutions, and the Antifa today look to those historical examples in the acts of violence they carry out,” Ngo explained. He suggests that many mainstream liberals are misled by media portrayals of Antifa as simply anti-fascist or anti-racist, when the underlying ideology is actually “anarchist communism” with nihilistic tendencies. “Their own slogan has become ‘ungovernable,'” Ngo pointed out, arguing that anyone who values democracy and civil rights should not defend or downplay Antifa’s actions.
Perhaps most concerning to Ngo is how Antifa’s messaging has increasingly penetrated mainstream discourse. He sees evidence of this in what he calls a “depraved worldview philosophy” that has led some to celebrate political assassinations and call for violence against those they oppose ideologically. During the White House roundtable, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem compared Antifa’s sophistication to that of international terrorist organizations like ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas. She revealed that authorities recently arrested the girlfriend of an Antifa founder in Portland and are working to gather more intelligence about their networks during prosecution.
The Trump administration has made its position clear: their goal is to “eliminate [Antifa] from the existence of American society,” as Secretary Noem stated during the roundtable. She emphasized that these are not merely individuals who threaten law enforcement officers, journalists, and citizens—”they want to kill them.” This stark assessment underscores the administration’s view of Antifa as a serious domestic threat requiring coordinated federal action. As political tensions continue to rise in America, the debate over Antifa’s true nature and the appropriate response to their activities remains contentious, with journalists like Ngo serving as key witnesses to what they describe as organized political violence that threatens democratic institutions.
