Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to host delegations from over 70 countries this week for a high-level meeting focused on countering what the Trump administration terms the overlooked threat of "transnational far-left terrorism." The gathering, scheduled for Thursday in Washington, aims to establish a foundation for coordinated international action against organizations perceived to be employing intimidation and terror tactics to achieve extreme political aims.
Initially, approximately 60 countries were expected to attend. However, the State Department announced an expansion of the ministerial invitation list on Friday, citing "overwhelming interest" from nations actively working to combat the rise of far-left violence. More than 10 additional invitations were extended, according to a State Department official.
Internal documents reviewed by ABC News indicate that the threat of far-left terrorism has been a "blind spot" in the international community's counterterrorism efforts, often underestimated and under-resourced despite its perceived danger. These documents assert that law enforcement and counterterrorism experts have observed a clear trend of globally networked, politically motivated terrorists, particularly those on the far-left, increasingly resorting to organized and deadly violence to advance their objectives.
Some analysts and organizations have raised questions about the administration's focus on this specific threat. An analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 2025 suggested that while left-wing violence in the U.S. has seen an increase over the past decade, it has risen from low levels and remains significantly below historical levels of violence attributed to right-wing and jihadist attackers. The CSIS report emphasized the importance of resourcing all dimensions of the terrorism threat, noting that while left-wing terrorism is a priority for the Trump administration, jihadist terrorism remains a concern, and right-wing terrorism could resurge.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also criticized aspects of the Trump administration's counterterrorism approach, alleging that it has targeted politically opposed but peaceful activists and donors under the guise of addressing political violence and domestic terrorism.