President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to intensify investigations into organizations his administration suspects of supporting “domestic terrorism and organized political violence,” citing the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month. From the Oval Office, Trump claimed—without presenting evidence—that “wealthy people” are funding unrest, later naming George Soros and Reid Hoffman as figures he’s “hearing” about. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the effort targets “any organized group who is committing these crimes.”
The move follows Kirk’s assassination at a Utah campus event; prosecutors in that case have said they will seek the death penalty against the suspect. AP News+1 It also comes alongside a separate White House directive urging federal prosecutors in Washington, DC, to pursue capital punishment in eligible cases under federal law.
Critics warn the new memo risks being wielded against political opponents and civil society groups. Soros’s Open Society Foundations called the push “politically motivated attacks on civil society” that threaten First Amendment protections. The Washington Post Legal analysts note the U.S. lacks a standalone domestic terrorism criminal statute; instead, prosecutors must rely on existing federal crimes (e.g., firearms, explosives, conspiracy, material support for designated foreign terrorist organizations), making any broad “designation” of domestic groups largely symbolic and potentially subject to court challenges on speech and association grounds.
