Antifa Is Like MAGA but for the Far-Left — Who Founded It and When?

Antifa has been a hot topic lately, especially with President Donald Trump targeting those associated with the “group,” calling it a “domestic terrorist organization.”

While some treat Antifa as an official organization you can simply sign up for, it’s not structured that way. Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is more of a movement or political ideology than a formal group.

Think of it like MAGA. What started as Trump’s signature slogan, “Make America Great Again,” has evolved into a label for his supporters — people who align with his views and, in some cases, are willing to incite violence against those who don’t.

Similarly, Antifa represents far-left activists who share certain anti-fascist beliefs, though it isn’t formally organized (like MAGA).

So, did one person start Antifa? Here’s what we know about its origins.

A single person didn’t found Antifa and has no central leader. It’s a loosely organized movement of people who share far-left views, such as being pro-LGBTQ+ and pro-immigration.

As the name suggests, they are strongly opposed to fascism.

Antifa functions a lot like MAGA in terms of structure. People identify as MAGA supporters, but it’s not an official organization, just a movement. While Trump could be considered the influence behind MAGA, Antifa has no founder or formal structure.

Wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat or sharing posts on immigration reform or abortion rights might make someone a MAGA supporter, but it doesn’t mean there’s an official group meeting held, though MAGA supporters do organize at times.

The same goes for Antifa. People who align with its views may sometimes come together to protest or take action, often showing their affiliation by wearing all black and carrying black-and-red flags. And sometimes, these actions do result in violence.

According to the BBC, after George Floyd was killed in 2020, Michael Reinoehl, a self-proclaimed Antifa activist, shot a member of a far-right group before being killed by police.

But MAGA has had its own share of violent moments, too. The January 6 Capitol riots in 2021 is one example, while the plot to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, organized by Trump supporters, is another.

Simply put, both movements can inspire extreme actions, even if neither is a formal organization.

The only difference is that Trump has been adamant about cracking down on far-left supporters, yet his administration seems to find no fault when MAGA supporters come together, even forming the Charlie's Murderers website, which doxxed individuals simply for expressing opinions on the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

The Antifa political ideology wasn’t founded by a single person but was influenced by the German word “antifaschistisch,” which referred to a German anti-fascist group formed in the 1930s, according to the BBC.

Being anti-fascist has a long history in the U.S., but it really transitioned into a label after Trump claimed his first presidential victory in 2016.

Since then, more people have identified with ideals that oppose Trump (whom many view as a fascist or close to one) and his supporters, essentially making it a clash between the far left and the far right.

And right now, it seems the two sides are very much “at war.”