Overview

• President Trump said he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into bringing RICO cases against protesters who interrupted his dinner at Joe’s Seafood in Washington.
• On CNN, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the possibility of "potential investigations" if protests are part of organized, funded efforts that inflict "harm, terror or damage," while saying peaceful protest is lawful.
• Video shows a small group, reportedly linked to Code Pink, chanting "Free DC" and "Free Palestine" before being removed by security, and no federal charges or RICO filings have been announced.
• Critics including Rep. Daniel Goldman and Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned the legality of the idea, noting RICO requires specific predicate crimes and warning against criminalizing dissent.
• Officials cast the stance as part of a broader response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with floated steps such as labeling antifa as domestic terrorists and scrutinizing left-leaning nonprofits, and Bondi later clarified that only threats of violence fall outside First Amendment protection.