President Donald Trump displayed confusion during a White House roundtable on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, when questioned by a reporter about potentially suspending habeas corpus to address what the administration refers to as anti-fascist insurrectionists and to speed up deportations of undocumented immigrants.
This incident took place during a State Dining Room meeting where Trump had gathered conservative influencers and independent journalists to discuss their encounters with violence attributed to antifa, a decentralized anti-fascist movement. The session, ongoing for nearly two hours, saw the president being asked if he had considered suspending habeas corpus.
Trump’s response was, “Suspending who?” mistaking the Latin legal term for a person’s name. When the reporter reiterated “habeas corpus,” Trump redirected the question to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, expressing a preference to defer the decision to her, and sought her input.
Noem, who had previously struggled to define habeas corpus during a Senate testimony in May, stated that she had not been involved in discussions on the topic. The interaction was recorded and quickly circulated on social media, receiving criticism from political figures across the spectrum.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to the footage with a single word: “Comforting.” Progressive journalist Mehdi Hasan pointed out the president’s lack of understanding of the term.
The roundtable happened as protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials disrupted cities like Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon. The Trump administration designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization last month, attributing a campaign of violence against ICE agents to the movement.
During the meeting, Trump described antifa members as insurrectionists and questioned their motivations, suggesting they are financially compensated for their activities. He asked attendees to assist in identifying members or supporters of the movement.
The session featured appearances by Nick Sortor, Andy Ngo, and other individuals popular in right-wing circles, who shared accounts of violence they attributed to antifa. Attorney General Pam Bondi outlined the administration’s approach to dismantling the organization, likening it to efforts against drug cartels.
Bondi indicated plans to systematically dismantle the organization using a strategy similar to that used against cartels. Secretary Noem compared antifa’s sophistication to international terrorist organizations, including MS-13, Tren de Aragua, ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
The roundtable was briefly interrupted when Secretary of State Marco Rubio passed Trump a handwritten note concerning developments in Middle East peace negotiations. The note, captured by photographers, urged the president to approve a Truth Social post announcing a potential deal.
Trump acknowledged the note, informing attendees that negotiators were engaged with senior officials, including Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in ongoing talks aimed at resolving issues between Israel and Hamas. Despite Rubio’s urgency, Trump continued to engage with the activists for about 10 more minutes.
Before concluding the session, Trump criticized mainstream media outlets, specifically calling MSNBC and CNN dishonest organizations, and remarked that engaging with them was a waste of time. He then departed to address issues in the Middle East.
Nearly two hours after receiving Rubio’s note, at 6:51 p.m., Trump announced on Truth Social that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-led peace plan aimed at halting the conflict in Gaza. The announcement detailed hostage releases and coordinated Israeli troop withdrawals.
The habeas corpus exchange highlighted a gap in understanding constitutional law, as the concept represents a fundamental legal protection against unlawful detention dating back centuries in Anglo-American jurisprudence. The writ allows federal courts to assess the legality of a state’s detention of a prisoner.
