The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says it plans to take Gov. Ron DeSantis to court after the Republican governor issued an executive order labeling the Muslim civil rights organization a "foreign terrorist organization."

Hiba Rahim, the chapter’s deputy executive director, said during a news conference that the order was an attack rooted in conspiracy theories and compared it to historical efforts that targeted Jewish, Irish and Italian American communities.

"We are very proud to defend the founding principles of our Constitution, to defend free speech," Rahim said at a news conference. "We are proud to defend democracy, and we are proud to be America first."

Rahim argued that the governor’s support for Israel played a role in the order, saying the group’s activism had caused "discomfort" to the U.S. ally. She said CAIR does not intend to back down.

FLORIDA DESIGNATES MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND CAIR AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, DESANTIS SAYS

Governor DeSantis, meanwhile, defended the move, saying his administration had sufficient grounds for the designation. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, he said he welcomed CAIR’s legal challenge and described the designation as "a long time coming."

DeSantis’ order also lists the Muslim Brotherhood as a "foreign terrorist" organization. Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to begin a federal process to consider designating certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization.

The governor said he expects Florida lawmakers to pursue related legislation when the legislature reconvenes in January, calling the executive order "the beginning."

TRUMP SIGNALS PLAN TO DESIGNATE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

Under DeSantis’ directive, state agencies are barred from awarding contracts, employment or funds to CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, or any groups deemed to have materially supported them.

At the Tampa news conference, attorney Miranda Margolis criticized the order and argued DeSantis had exceeded his authority by unilaterally designating a nonprofit as a terrorist organization. 

"This designation is without legal or factual basis and constitutes a dangerous escalation of anti-Muslim political rhetoric," Margolis said.

Florida’s action comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a similar proclamation. CAIR has challenged Abbott’s designation in federal court, arguing it violates the U.S. Constitution and Texas law. Muslim and interfaith organizations have urged Abbott to rescind the order.

State-level designations do not carry the same legal weight as federal Foreign Terrorist Organization classifications, which can only be issued by the U.S. State Department.

CAIR argues the Florida order violates its First Amendment rights and due-process protections and that terrorism designations fall under federal jurisdiction, not state power.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump was in Pennsylvania Tuesday night touting his administration's economic success, after Democrats swept a series of elections in 2025 while mainly campaigning on platforms focused on "affordability."

"They caused the high prices, and we're bringing them down," Trump told the crowd in attendance at a casino resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, whom he spoke to for nearly two hours. "Lower prices, bigger paychecks – you're getting lower prices, bigger paychecks, we're getting inflation – we're crushing it – and you're getting much higher wages. The only thing that is really going up big – it's called the stock market and your 401ks." 

Affordability has become a flashpoint heading into the midterms, with Republicans now fine-tuning their messaging on the economy after a slew of Democrats won elections in 2025 running on a platform focused on lowering costs. Prior to Tuesday night's address in Pennsylvania, Trump told Politico in an interview that he would give his economy an "A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus" grade, but a November Fox News national survey found that some 76% of voters reported they view the economy negatively, up from the 67% who reported the same in July, and up from the 70% who said the same at the end of former President Joe Biden's term.

TRUMP INSISTS PRICES ARE ‘COMING DOWN,’ BLAMES BIDEN – BUT VOTERS SAY THEY'RE STILL GETTING SQUEEZED

Real-wages were among one of the several statistics that Trump shared with voters Tuesday to prove how much better the economy is under him than Biden. According to Trump, real wages "plummeted" by $3,000 under Biden, while under Trump's second administration, the president said, the typical factory worker has seen their real wages increase by $1,300, construction workers by over $1,800, and miners by $3,300. Trump added that, under Biden, real-wages for construction workers dropped by $3,500. 

To put things into perspective for the audience, Trump also touched on the price of everyday goods, and shared charts with the audience showing how the prices differed under his predecessor's term. Citing a report from Walmart, Trump said the cost of a full Thanksgiving meal, trimmings, turkey and all, is 25% cheaper under his administration than it was under Biden. He said the price of Thanksgiving turkeys specifically was also down 33%. 

Trump added that egg prices have "dropped like a rock" under his second term, noting their price point is down 80% since March.

TRUMP APPROVAL CLIMBS AS REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND PRESIDENT'S AFFORDABILITY AGENDA: POLL 

"One of the most important ways we're defeating inflation is by unleashing American energy, including oil, gas and clean beautiful coal," Trump also said, citing data he said shows 22 different states have lower gas prices today than they ever have in the last seven years. Three of them, Trump noted, have gas as low as $1.99 per gallon.

Trump also touted lower mortgage rates under his administration, $18 trillion in new private investments compared to Biden's less than $1 trillion, and a hot stock market as examples of how his economy is doing well.

"I can't say affordability hoax because I agree the prices were too high. I can't call it a hoax because they'll misconstrue that. But they use the word affordability and that's their only word," Trump said while bashing Democrats on the economy Tuesday night. "They say, ‘affordability' and everyone says, ‘Oh, that must mean Trump has high prices.’ No. Our prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country."

Trump added during his speech Tuesday night that Democrats talking about affordability, "is like Bonnie and Clyde preaching about public safety."

Meanwhile, amid his barbs at Democrats on their "affordability" messaging, Trump posited that he doesn't have to "sell" his administration's policies to anyone, because they are "the right policy."  

"We don't have to sell men in women's sports. We don't have to sell transgender to everybody. We don't have to sell open borders where the whole world is allowed to come into our country from prisons and everywhere," Trump told the crowd. "That's our message. They gave you high prices. They gave you the highest inflation in history. And we're giving you we're bringing those prices down rapidly."