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The Trump administration is drafting plans to take federal action against left-leaning organizations that President Donald Trump and his allies accuse of fueling political violence, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The measures, which could be announced as early as the end of the month, follow the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
A White House official said the administration is “exploring a wide variety of options” to confront what it describes as a network of groups tied to left-wing violence. “The emphasis and focus are on criminal actions, not political speech,” the official added.
Possible investigations into Soros-backed groups
Among the proposals under consideration are investigations into the tax-exempt status of certain liberal organizations, including the Soros-founded Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation. Trump said on Fox & Friends last week that he wants a racketeering probe of groups supported by billionaire financier George Soros, later telling NBC News that Soros “should be put in jail.”
Vice President JD Vance, guest-hosting The Charlie Kirk Show on Monday, suggested the administration would target foundations that “benefit from generous treatment” while, in his words, “setting fire to the house built by the American family.”
Federal law bars the president or vice president from directly ordering IRS inquiries into nonprofits, and neither Trump nor Vance has provided evidence linking the groups to Kirk’s killing. Prosecutors in Utah have charged Tyler Robinson, 24, with aggravated murder, but have not tied him to any political organization.
Calls for broader action
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said the administration intends to mobilize the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to dismantle what he called “a vast domestic terror network” funded by liberal philanthropists.
Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist, argued in a text message that antifa should be designated as a “terrorist organization,” a move he said would provide “a full tool box” to shut it down. Trump echoed that sentiment on Truth Social, declaring antifa a “MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION” and pledging investigations into its alleged funders.
Currently, U.S. law only allows foreign groups to be designated as terrorist organizations, raising questions about the legality of such a move without congressional approval.
Rising tension and pushback
Conservative activists describe Kirk’s assassination as an existential moment for the right. Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute said grief and fear are driving the push for federal action. “This isn’t like ‘how can we score political points?’” she said. “It feels existential, and it feels like there is a target on all of us right now.”
More than 100 progressive philanthropic organizations pushed back Wednesday in an open letter denouncing political violence — including Kirk’s killing — while rejecting attempts to curtail their work. “Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans,” the groups wrote.
Balancing rhetoric with rights
Amid concerns about chilling free speech, Vance struck a more measured tone during a speech in Michigan. “Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, whatever your belief is, I will fight for your right to speak your mind,” he said. “We reject political violence, and we reject the crazy left-wing radicals that gunned down our friend Charlie Kirk.”
Robinson remains in custody in Utah, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.
