By James Oliphant and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House is preparing an executive order on political violence and hate speech, a Trump administration official said on Wednesday, as scores of left-leaning non-profits rejected what they described as efforts to undermine their work.
The administration has intensified scrutiny of liberal organizations following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a staunch ally of Trump.
President Donald Trump and other Republicans have accused liberal groups of contributing to an increase in hate speech and intolerance, while declining to criticize right-leaning groups and activists that have contributed to the country’s divisions.
Specifics about the administration’s plan, which could be unveiled later this week, are still being hammered out by Trump’s top advisers, including Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff who has helped lead the response to Kirk’s killing, according to the official.
Trump is on a state visit to Britain this week, which could affect the timing of the order.
The White House accuses left-wing organizations of fueling riots and attacking law enforcement officers and has pledged to seek out what it describes as a network of groups inciting violence in American communities.
Critics say Trump’s focus on left-wing organizations ignores the fact that on his first day in office in January, he pardoned supporters convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, including some who had attacked law enforcement officers.
Left-leaning groups have pushed back against the new White House efforts.
On Wednesday, more than 120 potential targets of the administration published a letter rejecting what they said was a push to exploit political violence to mischaracterize their charitable work.
Signatories to the letter include left-leaning foundations that have been publicly named by the administration as potential targets, such as the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations and the Tides Foundation, but also more mainstream nonprofits such as the Bush Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation.
“We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give,” the letter reads.
Trump has suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi could use the federal racketeering statute to prosecute groups he claims are funding left-wing violence. He has also mentioned designating some leftist groups as terrorist organizations.
If the administration follows through with such plans, it would mark the latest escalation in a broader campaign by the Trump administration to challenge and degrade institutions with which it disagrees.
As part of his offensive against liberal institutions, Trump has withheld federal funds from Harvard University, Columbia University and other schools by arguing they promote a liberal ideology, encourage political dissent and support antisemitism.
The Justice Department has opened a probe into ActBlue, the top fundraising site for Democratic candidates. The White House has also forced a number of high-profile law firms to enter into settlements that require them to provide services to conservative causes.
(Reporting by James Oliphant and Jeff Mason, editing by Ross Colvin and Alistair Bell)
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