Days after Republican Senator Ted Cruz reintroduced a bill that would require the President to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist entity, TV Abraham spoke with several U.S. senators for their views on the matter.
“I think we ought to look very carefully at the Muslim Brotherhood, because it has a history of violence and disruption in the region, and I think that designating it as a terrorist organization is certainly deserving of consideration,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
Asked if he would support the legislation, Blumenthal replied, “I’m going to look at the bill. I want to know not only what the effect is on that organization, but on others in the region as well that may be equally deserving of that designation.”
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is co-sponsoring the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, along with several other Republicans, including Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Dave McCormick (R-PA), and John Cornyn (R-TX).
Scott told TV Abraham on Tuesday:
“There’s no if ands or buts about it. They’re a terrorist organization. They cause significant unrest. They cause significant issues in the Middle East. So let’s be direct with who they are.”
Some countries in the Middle East—including Jordan, the UAE, and Bahrain—have formally designated the transnational organization as a terrorist entity or banned it. Several offshoots of the Muslim Brotherhood have been designated as terrorist groups by the U.S.—but not the organization itself. Senator Cruz’s efforts over the years to pass a similar bill have drawn mixed reactions.
While supporters say it’s a necessary measure to address the transnational organization’s extremist ties, others argue that the group may not meet the legal definition of a terrorist organization under federal law, since some of its branches are not violent.
There are also concerns that such a designation could impact diplomatic relations with key Middle Eastern allies, including Kuwait, which has had Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated lawmakers in its parliament.
TV Abraham reached out to Senator Cruz’s office for clarification on those points.
One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Senator Cornyn, told TV Abraham on Wednesday, “I think it’s a work in progress, but it’s important to be able to identify these various terrorist organizations so that we can deal with them appropriately because they’re not simply just a peaceful organization. They support terrorism and overthrow legitimate governments in the Middle East.”
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) said this week that, while he hasn’t had a chance to read the bill, he would likely support it, but wants to look “more specifically at the criteria.”
“We can’t be the global cop on the beat everywhere in the world, but there are things that we can do that I think can inhibit this kind of activity,” Schmitt said. “I think it’s a step forward in making sure the region is as safe as possible.”
The Senator added that after the targeted US strikes in Iran, “I do think the conditions now are much better than any time in recent memory for sort of a marching forward of the Abraham Accords. I think diplomacy is the path forward here, but we can’t tolerate terrorism.”
A companion bill introduced in the House has both Democratic and Republican co-sponsors.
