Trump signs memorandum ordering probes of groups aiding ‘organized political violence’

By Adam Cancryn, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Thursday sought to ramp up investigations of unnamed groups his administration suspects of supporting political violence, signing a presidential memorandum that critics worry will be used to target his political enemies.

The directive aims to intensify efforts across the government to identify organizations backing what officials called “domestic terrorism and organized political violence being perpetrated by radical, politically motivated groups” in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month.

“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people,” Trump said from the Oval Office, claiming without evidence there are “wealthy people” funding political violence.

The memorandum comes as Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s killing and other recent violent incidents, including a fatal shooting on Wednesday at an ICE facility in Dallas despite limited public information about the motive. The White House previously designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, despite the fact that it lacks a centralized organizational structure or defined leadership.

Asked what other groups the administration might target under Thursday’s memo, Trump and other officials would not identify any specific organizations.

“Any organized group who is committing these crimes,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said of their targets.

But Trump did later single out prominent liberal donors George Soros and Reid Hoffman as people he’s “hearing” about, remarks that are likely to intensify fears the memorandum will be used to investigate Trump’s political opponents.

Trump and Bondi were also asked about New York Times reporting about a push at the Justice Department to investigate Soros’ foundation and whether that was part of the memorandum he signed.

“I’m not going to comment on whether there is or is not a pending investigation, but everything’s on the table right now,” Bondi said.

“I don’t think anybody has to ask,” Trump said. “If you look at Soros, he’s at the top of everything,” he added. “He’s in every story that I read, so I guess he’d be a likely candidate.”

A spokesperson for Soros’ Open Society Foundations noted that Trump did not offer any evidence of wrongdoing and referred to an earlier statement the organization issued rejecting accusations that it funds terrorism, calling the administration’s moves “politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with and undermine the First Amendment right to free speech.”

“When power is abused to take away the rights of some people, it puts the rights of all people at risk,” the Open Society Foundations said in its statement.

CNN has requested comment from Hoffman through his venture capital firm, Greylock Partners.

Earlier Thursday, Trump accused the “radical left” of provoking violence with their rhetoric, suggesting it could spark right-wing backlash that “will not be good” for those on the left.

“The radical left is causing this problem — not the right, the radical left — and it’s going to get worse and ultimately it’s going to go back on them,” Trump said in response to a question from a reporter about the shooting at the ICE detention facility that killed one detainee and left two others seriously injured. “The right is not doing this, they’re not doing it and they better not get them energized, because it won’t be good for the left.”

While the president added that he didn’t want to see any retaliation, he also warned that it could eventually become inevitable.

“It’ll be a point where other people won’t take it anymore, and that will not be good for the radical left,” Trump said.

FBI and other Trump administration officials have asserted that a review of the evidence so far indicates the shooter was ideologically motivated in targeting the ICE field office, and that he had fired indiscriminately at the building.

Nancy Larson, acting US attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said that handwritten notes left behind by the man indicated “hatred for the federal government” and led investigators to believe he intended to target ICE personnel and property, even though all three victims were detainees.

The shooter, who was found dead at the scene, does not appear to have affiliations with specific groups or entities, nor did his writings mention government agencies other than ICE, the prosecutor said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report.

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