As the definition of “terrorist” expands, so does state violence

As the definition of “terrorist” expands, so does state violence

From Code Switch by NPR

April 8, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the expanding definition of 'terrorist' and its implications for state violence, featuring insights from experts on racialized surveillance and historical context.

The Trump administration has called more and more groups “terrorists,” from “narco-terrorists” in Ecuador to people who protest ICE to the entire Democratic party. But it’s also nothing new. We talk to Saher Selod, expert on the racialized surveillance of Muslims about the effects of the war on terrorism after 9/11, and historian Alex Lubin about how even since colonial settlers were fighting Indigenous people to establish frontier towns, the word “terrorist” has been used by the state to enact violence and surveillance against whoever they want. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Guests: Saher Selod, Alex Lubin

Topics covered

  • terrorism
  • state violence
  • racial surveillance
  • history
  • protest

Keywords

  • Trump administration
  • narco-terrorists
  • protest ICE
  • war on terrorism
  • colonial settlers
  • Indigenous people
  • surveillance

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Ecuador

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