An editor’s essay on dissent, surveillance, and NSPM‑7

By Liberty’s Lens

Do you consider yourself anti‑fascist? Do you support progressive causes like Indivisible or the Open Society Foundations? Anti‑fascist work such as that done by the Southern Poverty Law Center? Progressive independent media like Ken Klippenstein , The 50501 Movement, or Liberty’s Lens?

If so, you could very well already be on the list.

President Donald Trump receives an update from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the U.S. peace plan for Gaza in the Oval Office, Friday, October 3, 2025 - USA (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Under National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM7), these positions and associations are treated as “indicia” of domestic terrorism. Let that sink in for a moment.

I know I keep coming back to NSPM‑7, but it represents a dangerous shift. It reflects a growing movement within the Department of Justice—especially over the last several months—to repurpose the counterterrorism machinery of the federal government, much of it built after 9/11, against domestic political opposition.

And this effort does not end just because Pam Bondi is gone. There is little reason to believe her replacement—or others within the DOJ—will reverse course. In fact, there are strong indications some are prepared to push even further.

We saw the blueprint in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Charlie Kirk. Senior officials—including Vice President Vance, Stephen Miller, and others—attempted to pin the crime on a vast, cohesive left‑wing terrorist network allegedly funded by NGOs and progressive groups. No evidence supported this claim. But that didn’t matter.

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