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2h ago

Hundreds of Nonprofits Urge Trump to Drop Crackdown Threats After Kirk Killing

The groups warn that punitive actions against charities would chill free speech, jeopardizing community services.

President Donald Trump listens as Attorney General Pam Bondi answers reporters' questions in the Oval Office at the White House on Sept. 15, 2025, the same day she said on a podcast that the Justice Department "will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."
President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on September 11.
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Overview

  • More than 500 nonprofits released an open letter on Thursday condemning political violence and objecting to what they call government efforts to weaponize Kirk’s assassination against lawful civic activity.
  • Senior officials, including Stephen Miller and Vice President J.D. Vance, have pledged to use Justice Department and Homeland Security resources to investigate liberal networks, with options floated such as RICO cases and stripping tax-exempt status.
  • President Trump announced a terrorist designation for Antifa, while news outlets report the administration has name-checked major funders including the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations.
  • A separate statement from over 100 philanthropic institutions—among them Ford, Open Society, MacArthur, Knight, Omidyar Network, and the Schmidt Family Foundation—defended the freedom to give and warned against retaliation.
  • Regional groups joined the pushback as Chicago-area foundations cautioned that revoking tax privileges could devastate programs, with one leader warning of a potential multi‑sector loss measured in the trillions of dollars; separately, prosecutors charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and will seek the death penalty.