US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting a conference on “far-left political terrorism” Thursday, aiming to galvanize international support against left-wing movements that the Trump administration claims law enforcement has largely overlooked.The day-long event is expected to draw representatives from at least 65 countries, with some delegations led by foreign or interior ministers and others by lower-level officials, according to a senior State Department official who briefed reporters anonymously. The official stated that the gathering would enable counterterrorism experts to address what the Trump administration describes as an escalating and sophisticated global threat.However, the long-planned conference has prompted warnings from some former officials and observers, who suggest the administration may be redirecting vital resources towards groups responsible for a comparatively small number of attacks, potentially at the expense of combating Islamic militants and right-wing extremists. State Department officials have dismissed these concerns as unfounded. The State Department insists that attacks by far-left actors outside the U.S. against officials, police, businesses, and infrastructure represent a deliberate, ideologically driven strategy to destabilize free societies (Getty Images)This initiative aligns with President Donald Trump's stated priority of confronting left-wing groups, particularly antifa. He highlighted the movement during his 2024 campaign and pledged action against left-wing organizations he accuses of inciting violence following the killing of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk last year.Outside the U.S., attacks by far-left actors against officials, police, businesses and infrastructure reflect a deliberate, ideologically driven strategy to destabilize free societies, the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday."For too long, however, this threat has remained a blind spot in the international community’s counterterrorism focus, underestimated and under-resourced, despite the danger it poses," the department wrote.Since November, Washington has designated four European groups – Antifa Ost, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front, Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense – as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, offering rewards of up to $10 million for information regarding their financing.Civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have voiced apprehension that these far-left terrorism designations could be exploited to target lawful protest activities and political opponents, rather than genuinely addressing security threats.