Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted representatives from at least 65 countries in Washington on Thursday for a summit focused on what the Trump administration calls “transnational far-left terrorism,” moving a politically contested domestic security phrase into an international counterterrorism setting.
The event is expected to include remarks from Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller and other administration figures, according to a senior State Department official.
The official described the gathering as “a pivotal moment in an eight-month-long effort” by the agency, as the administration pushes allies and partners to treat far-left extremism as a cross-border security concern.
The focus has already drawn criticism. Critics argue the administration is placing too much emphasis on one ideological category rather than extremism across the political spectrum.
Administration officials have defended the summit as a response to what they see as a gap in international coordination. When asked why the event is focused on far-left extremism rather than extremism more broadly, the senior State Department official said: “This has been a blind spot for a lot of our partners.”
The official added: “We have to be able to protect the American people, and we have to wrap our arms around what that problem looks like.”
The summit comes as the administration has made immigration enforcement, campus protests and political violence central themes in its public security messaging. Supporters say the meeting puts pressure on foreign governments to share information on threats. Critics say the framing risks turning counterterrorism policy into another partisan fight.
For now, the administration is treating the summit as part of an ongoing campaign, not a one-day event.
