On Monday night’s The 11th Hour, MSNBC’s very own Jason Johnson made the incredibly logical conclusion that everyone who was not in favor of fascism should be grouped under the same label as those who cause violent riots in the name of Antifa. This was in reaction to the Trump administration’s recent actions taken against the terrorist network.
Of course, Stephanie Ruhle’s stand-in, Antonia Hylton, couldn’t start without first minimizing the significance of the riotous clan: “It's worth reminding viewers that Trump designated Antifa, which is not an actual organization, as a domestic terrorist group with an Executive Order…”
It’s atypical, shapeless (not formless), and hides amongst the shadows in-between incursions. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Hylton’s first attempt at fear-mongering came by way of asking Johnson to connect the dots:
So as you hear administration officials start using that word a whole lot more, there's the Executive Order, there's that roundtable. Jason, what's the purpose of all of this? Are they trying to lay the groundwork for something?
Yes, and it’s called law and order. After four years of Biden, responsible governance sounds like such a foreign concept.
The political contributor replied with perhaps the most ludicrous response possible, comparing them to dog lovers:
The idea of going after Antifa is like saying we're going after dog lovers. Who doesn't love dogs? If you're a United States citizen, right? And you like democracy, then you don't like fascism. Everybody who loves democracy is technically Antifa.
And every male who loves America was a Proud Boy. And every military member and congressman was an Oath Keeper. Oh wait, that’d be mislabeling. Identity politics has officially backfired into a self-denying enigma.
Johnson further misappropriated the blood-stained moniker: “So the idea that they're ‘going after’ Antifa, they're going after the core of what makes Americans. These are just words that this administration makes up to justify their authoritarian encroachment.”
How unimaginatively wrong. America’s system of self-governance was built on the idea that electors entrust responsibility to delegated officials to create and enforce the law. Fascists take power by force — almost like… Antifa?
Hylton again lulled Johnson into alarmist territory in an attempt to scare viewers:
HYLTON: But, Jason, for people who are planning to head to these rallies, when they hear the administration start to use this word to label people who might appear, protest peacefully on Saturday that they're going to label them as terrorists. And we know from reporting that this administration is looking at invoking the Insurrection Act. Should people be afraid right now?
JOHNSON: No more afraid than anybody in journalism when he said we're the enemies of the state. Look, this is an administration that threatens everybody. If you respond to threats in advance, then they've already won. […] If we allow this administration to label everything an enemy of the state, if we allow this administration to label what are regular, known Constitutional rights as “threats” to this country, or threats to his particular power, then this administration’s already won.
No, MSNBC just didn’t want to admit that a large, far-left group was directly responsible for destructive, politically-motivated behavior. In a time when all political violence was universally condemned (supposedly), the only way to elude blame is to deny that it even exists.
And yes, Antonia, those who have participated in disturbing the peace and illicit activity should be afraid.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" read:
MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle
October 13, 2025
11:41:42 p.m. EST
(…)
ANTONIA HYLTON: So, we have the No Kings rallies coming up across the country this coming Saturday. And the Speaker, Mike Johnson, has been describing the rally planned for Saturday as a “hate America rally” that would draw “the pro-Hamas wing” and “the [A]ntifa people.”
It's worth reminding viewers that Trump designated Antifa, which is not an actual organization, as a domestic terrorist group with an Executive Order that said, “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law. […] Because of the aforementioned pattern of political violence designed to suppress lawful political activity [and] obstruct the rule of law, I hereby designate Antifa a domestic terrorist organization.”
And just last week, Trump held an Antifa roundtable at the White House. Jason, listen to this.
[Cuts to video]
PRES. DONALD TRUMP [on 10/08/25]: We have a very serious left-wing terror threat in our country. Radicals associated with the domestic terror group Antifa. [Transition] They have been very threatening to people, but we're going to be very threatening to them, far more threatening to them than they ever were with us. And that includes the people that fund them. [Transition] We're going after Antifa criminals, and all who fund and support their campaigns are in serious trouble. And we have a lot of records already. [Transition] These are people that do not have good intentions for the country, and that's treasonous.
[Cuts back to live]
HYLTON: So as you hear administration officials start using that word a whole lot more, there's the Executive Order, there's that roundtable. Jason, what's the purpose of all of this? Are they trying to lay the groundwork for something?
JASON JOHNSON: Well, they're not laying the groundwork, they're doing it already. They have already released, essentially, a secret police force, you know, barely armed non-identified officers jumping out of vans and kidnapping people. That's what we already have happening with ICE. So this isn't laying the groundwork, this is paving something and painting over a street that's already been laid down.
But I think it's important to remember, just like we can't call Tish James or Comey foes of Trump — they're not foes, they're just people living their lives. The idea of going after Antifa is like saying we're going after dog lovers. Who doesn't love dogs? If you're a United States citizen, right? And you like democracy, then you don't like fascism. Everybody who loves democracy is technically Antifa.
So the idea that they're “going after” Antifa, they're going after the core of what makes Americans. These are just words that this administration makes up to justify their authoritarian encroachment. So –
[Crosstalk]
JOHNSON: — I’m not surprised by what they're doing.
HYLTON: But, Jason, for people who are planning to head to these rallies, when they hear the administration start to use this word to label people who might appear, protest peacefully on Saturday that they're going to label them as terrorists. And we know from reporting that this administration is looking at invoking the Insurrection Act. Should people be afraid right now?
JOHNSON: No more afraid than anybody in journalism when he said we're the enemies of the state. Look, this is an administration that threatens everybody. If you respond to threats in advance, then they've already won.
So people have a right to protest. They should go out and protest safely and peacefully as much as they can. They should look out for provocateurs and infiltrators within those protests. Americans need to keep living the democratic lives and norms that we've already had. If we allow this administration to label everything an enemy of the state, if we allow this administration to label what are regular, known Constitutional rights as “threats” to this country, or threats to his particular power, then this administration’s already won.
(…)
