Trump Launches Aggressive Campaign to Investigate Liberal Groups

Trump investigates liberal groups: Officials say that senior White House staffer Stephen Miller is at the center of President Donald Trump’s promised assault on the funding and operations of leftist non-profits and organizations that oppose his agenda.

According to the officials, the Trump administration intends to use the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Treasury Department, among other American counterterrorism agencies, against certain left-wing organizations it claims are responsible for financing and orchestrating political violence.

Democratic lawmakers and civil rights organizations are concerned about the use of presidential authority, as the attempt represents a step up in the administration’s efforts to target domestic opponents.

In order to provide the first thorough account of how decisions are being made, soldiers are being deployed, and operations are being coordinated in the crackdown, Reuters met with three White House officials, four officials from the Department of Homeland Security, and one official from the Justice Department.

To allow for a more open discussion of internal discussions, all administration officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.
According to a White House official, Miller is actively monitoring federal agencies’ investigations into the financial networks that support what the administration refers to as “domestic terror networks,” which include charitable organizations and even educational institutions.

Though it hasn’t shown any proof of a concerted attempt, the Trump administration has revealed a few instances of what it claims are left-wing violent occurrences.

“Left-wing organizations have fueled violent riots, organized attacks against law enforcement officers, coordinated illegal doxing campaigns, arranged drop points for weapons and riot materials, and more,” the White House said in a statement to the press. A request for comment from Miller was not answered.

“Capitalism, anti-Christianity, and anti-Americanism”

Two weeks after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed on September 10, Trump issued a presidential memorandum instructing the National Joint Terrorism Task Force to target “domestic terrorists” who share “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity” beliefs.

Trump’s detractors claim that the emphasis on left-wing and liberal organizations conceals right-wing organizations’ acts of violence. They cite the violence committed by Trump supporters at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to avenge his defeat by Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The majority of individuals found guilty of violence that day have been pardoned by Trump.

A second White House source pointed out that while Trump has often accused left-wing organizations of being responsible for violence, the president’s order does not directly name them and is intended to prevent organized political violence before it starts.

The “focus remains on violence and illegal activity,” the source said, adding that left-wing organizations are allowed to demonstrate as long as they stay within the law.

Protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have clashed in American cities, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, as a result of Trump’s widespread crackdown on immigration. Miller and Trump have asserted that intermittent acts of violence during demonstrations are proof of domestic terrorism.

Miller told reporters Monday that the “continuum of violence” being used by protestors was a part of a bigger plot to sabotage government activities.

WHAT ARE THE TARGETED GROUPS?

In response to a question about possible targets of a domestic terrorism investigation from a Reuters reporter in the Oval Office on September 25, Trump named Reid Hoffman, a Democratic mega-donor and co-founder of the online professional networking site LinkedIn, and George Soros, a Democratic donor whose charitable network supports civil rights, education, democracy, and other causes.
The president offered no proof of misconduct. “They will run into some issues if they are financing these things. “Because they are anarchists and agitators,” Trump said.

Hoffman refused to respond via a representative. The president’s claims were refuted by a representative for Soros’ network of philanthropic charities.
“The Open Society Foundations and George Soros do not support, encourage, or finance demonstrations or violence in any manner. “There is no truth to any claims to the contrary,” the official said.
The White House responded to a separate request by highlighting two instances of vandalism at Tesla dealerships this year, seven political protests in 2023 and 2025 that featured violent acts against law enforcement, and six social media posts that celebrated the damage.

It listed nine liberal organizations, donors, or fundraising groups that it said were involved in organizing or funding the demonstrations where the violent episodes took place.

The second White House official emphasized that the groups were not necessarily possible targets, but the information reveals the administration’s mindset.
The network for Humane Immigrant Rights, a Los Angeles-based organization; Indivisible, a grassroots network opposed to Trump policies; Soros’ Open Society Foundations; and ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s financing arm, are among the organizations on the list.

According to a third White House insider, “the goal is to destabilize Soros’ network.”

Indivisible spokesman Ezra Levin claimed the organization has never advocated for or coordinated violence. “These smears are designed to delegitimize our movement,” he said.
ActBlue spokesman Carter Christensen said that Trump’s crackdown was an effort to stifle criticism. “We take our legal and civic responsibilities seriously,” he said.
CHIRLA’s executive director, Angelica Salas, said that the organization supports nonviolent participation. In a statement, she added, “The Trump Administration keeps spreading false allegations and misinformation.” “But it will not work.”

Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, two Jewish NGOs that oppose Israel’s assault in Gaza, are among the other organizations on the list. Jewish Voice for Peace did not reply to a request for comment, while IfNotNow refused to comment.

There is confusion about Trump’s directives.

According to the first White House official, Miller is playing a “hands-on” role in looking into how organizations and educational institutions are funded. He is also discussing with Trump and other key advisors the suggestions made by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
According to the individual, the joint terrorist task force, which is a group of federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations charged with looking into terrorism, provides Miller with frequent briefings and serves as Trump’s top advisor on the subject.
The FBI’s part involves examining financial networks for financing of violent criminal operations, according to a DOJ official who refused to provide any details on task force plans.

According to people familiar with investigations and public statements by officials, these groups could be defunded or shut down through IRS investigations to revoke their tax-exempt status, FBI and Justice Department criminal investigations, federal law enforcement agency surveillance, the use of RICO statutes, which are commonly used for organized crime, and financial investigations under anti-terror laws to identify donors and funders.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt of the White House told reporters on Monday, “We will continue to get to the bottom of who is funding these organizations.”

Some groups may be forced to shut down if their financing is investigated and their tax-exempt status is revoked, according to civil liberties organizations.

Despite the anti-fascist movement’s dispersed structure and lack of formal organization, Trump last month issued an executive order branding it as a domestic terrorist organization.

Trump asked attendees at a gathering of conservative influencers and pundits on Wednesday to identify organizations and financiers they believe commit acts of violence, therefore crowdsourcing possible targets in real time. Then he promised to go after these organizations.
A list of over a dozen instances from 2016 that the White House claimed were committed by antifa was also made public.

A representative for the Justice Department said that the department would bring charges against “those who participate in antifa’s criminal acts – including those who fund, supply, and enable these criminals to commit violence and destruction.”

According to two DHS officials who are not permitted to comment publicly, Trump’s dual instructions on domestic political violence have created uncertainty, and attorneys are frantically trying to determine how to lawfully enforce them.

DHS is “fully and faithfully” carrying out Trump’s order, according to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
Legal experts informed the media that, in contrast to international terror organizations, there is no legal way to label a U.S. group that has no connections abroad as a terrorist organization.
Targeting left-wing organizations is made more difficult by the fact that many intelligence analysts who previously worked on domestic terrorism investigations have accepted buyouts as part of Trump’s drive to reduce the size and expense of government, according to one of the two DHS officials.

However, according to two ICE officials, in recent weeks, ICE instructed some investigative officers to concentrate on domestic terrorism. According to one of the officials, it was a component of a larger effort to reallocate funds to address domestic terrorism.

The campaign against domestic organizations and their funders coincides with Trump’s deployment of National Guard soldiers to certain Democratic-run cities and his assaults on media outlets, law firms, and institutions.

Democrats and civil society watchdogs claim that the action is meant to stifle criticism in addition to pursuing revenge on his alleged political rivals.
According to presidential historian Timothy Naftali, a former director of the Richard Nixon presidential library, Trump and Nixon shared a desire to silence critics and punish political opponents, but Trump is making progress thanks to a loyalist-filled cabinet and a submissive Republican-controlled Congress.

“That’s why this particular moment is more dangerous for the rule of law in the United States than the 1970s were,” Naftali said.