WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted an international ministerial meeting on Wednesday bringing together representatives from more than 60 countries to discuss what the Trump administration described as a global resurgence in political violence and to expand cooperation on countering terrorism.
The gathering in Washington, billed by the State Department as a ministerial on the resurgence of political terrorism, included delegations from countries across the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia, according to U.S. officials. The meeting followed President Donald Trump's counterterrorism strategy signed in May, which calls for updated efforts to confront politically motivated violence.
A State Department official said ahead of the meeting that the administration believes existing counterterrorism policies require modernization to address evolving threats affecting U.S. interests and allies.
"Our counterterrorism operating system needs an update to deal with the reality of such threats, to protect American citizens and U.S. national security and interests," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity before the summit. The official said U.S. efforts are focused on activity meeting the legal definition of terrorism, including assassinations, kidnappings, violent threats against governments and law enforcement, and attacks on critical infrastructure and military personnel.
The summit comes after the White House issued a strategy identifying politically motivated extremist violence as a priority. Administration officials have said the policy seeks to address violent actors across the political spectrum, while also highlighting groups they describe as anti-American, anarchist or affiliated with Antifa. The White House has also said the strategy applies to right-wing groups that engage in or encourage violence.
The initiative has drawn mixed reactions internationally. Some allied governments have questioned the administration's characterization of the threat and the emphasis placed on left-wing extremism, according to diplomatic reporting, while supporters argue that transnational political violence warrants greater international coordination.
The meeting follows heightened concern in Washington over politically motivated attacks after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year. White House officials subsequently called for a coordinated response to extremist violence, while emphasizing that U.S. policy is intended to address terrorism regardless of ideological affiliation.
The State Department said participating governments were expected to discuss information sharing, legal cooperation and other measures aimed at strengthening international responses to politically motivated terrorism. No joint communiqué or additional policy announcements had been released by the close of the meeting.
