Following the terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is poised to reintroduce legislation aimed at designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, The Hill reported on Wednesday.
Sunday’s attack was perpetrated by Mohamed Soliman, an Egyptian citizen, who reportedly displayed public support for the group on his social media accounts.
Senator Cruz announced his intention to craft a “modernized version” of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, a bill he previously supported.
Cruz attributed the necessity of this measure to a perceived lack of constraints, stating, “The Muslim Brotherhood uses political violence to achieve political ends and destabilize American allies, both within countries and across national boundaries. The Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is Hamas, a terrorist group which on October 7th committed the largest one day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, and which included the murder and kidnapping of dozens of Americans.”
He further asserted, “The Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security.”
The Muslim Brotherhood has already been designated a terrorist organization by several countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This label was applied after the group's members secured political positions in Egypt, where the organization was founded, before being toppled by the Egyptian military.
Some lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed support for Cruz's initiative, noted The Hill, urging President Donald Trump to officially denounce the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist entity.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) posted on social platform X, “Its history of promoting extremist ideologies and terrorist activities through affiliates like Hamas threatens our national & global security.”
During his first administration, President Trump considered this measure but ultimately did not designate the organization as a terrorist group. At that time, lawmakers and national officials reportedly concluded that the group did not meet the established criteria for a foreign terrorist organization designation.