US President Donald Trump on Thursday directed his administration to crack down on what he called “left-wing terrorism,” instructing federal agencies to investigate the financial backers of groups he accused of funding violent protests. Trump’s directive placed the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Taskforce in charge of the effort, with involvement from the Treasury Department and other agencies. He said the objective was “to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence.”When pressed to name possible targets, Trump pointed to two of the Democratic Party’s most prominent donors, billionaire philanthropists George Soros and Reid Hoffman. “If they are funding these things, they’re going to have some problems,” he said.The president’s announcement came weeks after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah and a shooting outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas that left one detainee dead and two others wounded. Authorities have identified suspects in both cases but have not publicly provided evidence of a wider conspiracy or organized funding network.Ahead of Trump’s order, Soros’ Open Society Foundations rejected accusations that it promotes violence. “These accusations are politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with and undermine the First Amendment right to free speech,” the organization said in a statement. It added, “Our activities are peaceful and lawful.” Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and PayPal, could not be reached for comment.
Justice Department directive
The New York Times reported that a senior Justice Department official has instructed more than half a dozen U.S. attorney’s offices to prepare investigative plans targeting groups funded by Soros. A copy of the directive, viewed by the newspaper, suggested potential charges including arson, racketeering, wire fraud and material support for terrorism.The directive, issued Monday by Aakash Singh, a lawyer in the deputy attorney general’s office, asked prosecutors in California, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Detroit and Maryland, among others, to review allegations against the Open Society Foundations. It also cited a report by the conservative Capital Research Center, which claimed the foundation “has poured over $80 million into groups tied to terrorism or extremist violence.” One cited example was al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights group that the Israeli government declared a terrorist organization in 2022.At the time, Open Society Foundations disputed Israel’s designation, saying it was unsupported by credible evidence and was intended to silence human rights defenders.Chad Gilmartin, a Justice Department spokesperson, said the new directive was focused on safety. “This DOJ, along with our hardworking and dedicated U.S. attorneys, will always prioritize public safety and investigate organizations that conspire to commit acts of violence or other federal violations of law,” he said.
Escalation against political opponents
The move comes as Trump continues to call for investigations into high-profile political adversaries. Over the weekend, he urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both are subjects of separate federal investigations, and grand juries may soon be asked to consider indictments.Trump’s criticism of Soros has intensified since the killing of Kirk. Speaking to NBC News earlier this week, Trump said Soros is “a bad guy” who “should be put in jail.” He has also called for Soros and his son to be prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, a law historically used against organized crime. In an August social media post, Trump claimed they should face charges “because of their support for Violent Protest, and much more, all throughout the United States.”Soros, who began funding pro-democracy initiatives abroad in the 1980s, expanded his Open Society network to the United States in the 1990s. The foundation funds programs supporting human rights, democracy and equity. Critics, including Trump and some Republicans, allege without evidence that the network promotes unrest and violent demonstrations.
Pushback from civil society groups
The Open Society Foundations has joined more than 100 philanthropic organisations in condemning efforts to link its work to political violence. “Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve,” a joint letter said. “We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give.”Last week, the Soros family donated $10 million to Democratic redistricting efforts in California, part of a nationwide battle over congressional maps ahead of future elections.Hoffman, another donor singled out by Trump, has long supported Democratic campaigns and has funded projects opposing online disinformation.The Justice Department’s directive requires prosecutors to determine whether the allegations against Open Society and other groups merit opening criminal investigations. Singh’s memo also asked prosecutors to be ready with plans for grand juries if charges are pursued.For now, Soros’ organisation maintains that its US work is focused only on democratic freedoms. “Our activities are peaceful and lawful,” the foundation said in its latest statement.
