The Muslim Brotherhood is a controversial group that seeks to establish an Islamic state. Their motto states that Holy War is their way, Islamic scripture is their law, and dying in Holy War as a martyr is their highest hope. President Obama engaged them. But President Trump recently declared some parts of the Muslim Brotherhood to be terrorist organizations. Lisa Fletcher reports.

The following is a transcript of a report from “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”
Watch the video by clicking the link at the end of the page.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): I’ve been pushing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood for more than a decade now.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, addressing a Senate hearing last year on measures in Congress to take a range of action against the Muslim Brotherhood.

He introduced the “Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025,” which would compel a formal US terrorist designation of the Muslim Brotherhood to confront what Cruz calls a serious national security threat.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): I don’t think the American people, even many people here in Congress, I don’t think they appreciate the degree to which our allies support acknowledging and designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

The Trump administration made good on its promise to label three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. The Treasury and State departments taking action in January against the Lebanese, Jordanian, and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, stating they pose a risk to both the country and American interests.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated: “The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.”

In November, governors in Texas and Florida, both Republicans, declared the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization.

At issue is the nature of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded nearly a century ago in Egypt, and viewed as a radical threat due to its historical antisemitic rhetoric, views of the West as a corrupting force to be resisted through jihad or Holy War, and promotion of strict Sharia-based governance, where Islamic law rigidly dictates all aspect of life, with harsh punishments like stoning, amputation, and flogging mandatory veiling of women, gender segregation bans on alcohol and prioritizing religious authority over all other.

Lisa Fletcher: What’s the danger of the Muslim Brotherhood and its associated parties having influence in the United States or operating in the United States?

Alberto Fernandez: They seek to move the discourse in certain directions that are favorable to themselves. They seek to influence foreign policy. They seek to influence security policy.

Alberto Fernandez, a former US ambassador, directs research and analysis at the Middle East Media Research Institute in Washington DC.

Alberto Fernandez: Leave the Islam aside for a moment. Think of it as a political institution or organization that works at different levels. It works at multiple levels to influence society, especially where public opinion and where influence is key. So politics, media, education, culture, propaganda, those types of things are of importance to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Dalia Ziada:: They are on a mission to destroy the Western civilization, the liberal democracy, and everything it represents.

Dalia Ziada is a co-author of a new report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, which argues that since immigrating to Western countries over the past five decades, members of the Muslim Brotherhood have pursued a long-term strategy—often supported by foreign funding, including from Qatar—to influence and undermine Western democratic institutions while advancing their group’s anti-western agenda.

Dalia Ziada: It’s a long-term strategy. The academic or educational domains, because this is a place where you can easily find people that can easily be recruited like students.

With that terrorist designation now official, US universities may suddenly find themselves on notice, facing legal exposure and reputational risk for inviting, funding, or employing individuals tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. In Washington DC, I’m Lisa Fletcher for Full Measure.

Watch video here.