Leaked DOJ Memo Exposes Plan to Catalog U.S. 'Extremists' Under Trump Administration

Washington, D.C. – December 7, 2025  In a bombshell revelation that has ignited fierce debate over civil liberties and government overreach, a leaked Justice Department memo signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi directs the FBI to assemble a sweeping list of American groups and individuals deemed potential domestic terrorists. The document, obtained exclusively by investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein and published on his Substack platform, outlines a tactical blueprint for targeting what it labels as threats rooted in "extreme viewpoints" on immigration, gender ideology, and national identity.

The memo, titled "Bondi Memo on Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence," builds directly on President Donald Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), issued in late September. NSPM-7 called for a "national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence," emphasizing preemptive law enforcement intervention in suspected "criminal conspiracies." Bondi's four-page directive translates that high-level rhetoric into operational orders, instructing the FBI to "compile a list of groups or entities engaging in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism."

At the heart of the memo is a broad definition of the "domestic terrorism threat," which encompasses organizations or individuals employing "violence or the threat of violence" to promote ideologies 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; [and] hostility towards traditional views on family, religion, and morality." Federal law enforcement personnel are urged to flag such "indicators" and refer cases to FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) for "exhaustive investigation," including mapping "the full network of culpable actors" both domestically and abroad.

The plan extends beyond mere surveillance. Bondi mandates enhancements to the FBI's public tipline to "more aggressively solicit tips from the American public on... other Americans," alongside the creation of a "cash reward system" for information leading to the identification and arrest of group leaders. The memo further authorizes the recruitment of "cooperators to provide information and eventually testify against other members" of targeted organizations, with instructions to probe incidents retroactively up to five years. JTTFs are empowered to deploy "all available investigative tools" in these efforts, raising alarms about potential warrantless surveillance and infiltration of activist circles.

Klippenstein, a former Intercept reporter known for his FOIA-driven exposés, described the memo as "the war plan for how the government will wage [a] tactical level" assault on dissent, echoing NSPM-7's expansive framing of threats. "Where NSPM-7 was a declaration of war on just about anyone who isn’t MAGA, this is the war plan," he wrote, warning that "millions of Americans like you and I could be the target" in what amounts to a new domestic "war on terrorism."

The leak has drawn swift condemnation from civil liberties advocates and progressive lawmakers. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement labeling the initiative "a chilling blueprint for political repression, chilling free speech under the guise of national security." House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called it "Orwellian," vowing congressional oversight hearings to scrutinize the administration's intent. "This isn't about stopping violence—it's about silencing opposition," Raskin said in a statement.

On the right, reactions were mixed. Some Trump allies defended the measures as essential for combating "radical left extremism," with Fox News host Sean Hannity tweeting that "it's about time we root out the real threats tearing America apart." Others, including libertarian-leaning Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), expressed unease over the vagueness of terms like "anti-American sentiment," warning of mission creep into protected First Amendment activities.

This development arrives amid a backdrop of heightened partisan tensions. The Trump administration, now in its second term, has prioritized aggressive immigration enforcement and cultural conservatism, with NSPM-7 framed as a response to protests and unrest following the 2024 election. Critics point to historical precedents, such as the FBI's COINTELPRO program in the 1960s, which targeted civil rights leaders and anti-war activists, as cautionary tales of abuse.

The White House and Justice Department have not commented on the memo's authenticity, though a DOJ spokesperson dismissed it as "incomplete and misleadingly presented" without further elaboration. FBI Director Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist confirmed in November, has previously championed expanded domestic intelligence powers, including during his time as a House investigator probing the Russia election interference probe.

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