Donald Trump demanded federal racketeering charges against George Soros and his son, Alex, claiming they back violent protests. Photo / Demetrius Freeman, The Washington Post
Donald Trump demanded federal racketeering charges against George Soros and his son, Alex, claiming they back violent protests. Photo / Demetrius Freeman, The Washington Post
President Donald Trump has demanded that top Democratic donor George Soros and his son, Alex, face federal racketeering charges, making an unsubstantiated claim they are backing violent protests across the country.
“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of ViolentProtests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, the federal law used to combat organised crime.
Trump did not provide evidence for his claim of supporting violent protests, and it was unclear what sparked his latest broadside against George Soros, whom Republicans have strongly criticised for years.
The Open Society Foundations, the philanthropic network founded by George Soros, has long pushed back against Republican attacks over its activities, including the allegation that it pays protesters or directly coordinates with them. The network called the accusations in Trump’s latest post about the Soros family “outrageous and false”.
“The Open Society Foundations do not support or fund violent protests,” Sean Savett, a spokesman for the foundations, said in a statement. “Our mission is to advance human rights, justice, and democratic principles at home and around the world.”
The Justice Department declined to comment on Trump’s demand that George and Alex Soros face Rico charges.
Trump has repeatedly targeted his political enemies with the power of the federal Government, saddling them with investigations and other punitive measures.
Last week, the FBI raided the home and office of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser who has since become a vocal Trump critic. Trump’s administration has also probed New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led a business fraud case against Trump after his first term, and Trump has publicly accused Senator Adam Schiff of mortgage fraud. Schiff led impeachment proceedings against the President as a House member.
John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to President Trump, waves as he arrives home, as the FBI searches his house. Photo / Getty Images
Trump campaigned for the presidency last year, vowing retribution against political opponents after he spent years under legal scrutiny himself following his exit from the White House in 2021.
George Soros is among the biggest Democratic donors in the country, and his son is also a prolific contributor to the party. One nonprofit linked to George Soros poured at least US$60 million into the 2024 election, according to a Washington Post analysis.
Trump said in his post that George Soros and his associates have “caused great damage” to the country and added, “Be careful, we’re watching you!”
As Trump calls for a Rico prosecution for the Soroses, the President still faces state racketeering charges in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 reelection loss. The future of the case has been clouded with uncertainty since late last year, when a state appeals court disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis from leading the prosecution.
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