US non-profits across climate, democracy and Palestine solidarity are joining forces after Donald Trump named George Soros as his next target for retribution. The Open Society Foundations (OSF), run by Soros's son Alex, funds thousands of organisations including the American Civil Liberties Union. The US justice department has reportedly instructed attorneys to plan investigations into OSF, part of a wider crackdown on progressive groups.
In a presidential memo, Trump said the government needed to 'investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence', adding that Soros was at 'the top of everything'. An OSF spokesperson said the organisation would 'refuse to surrender our legal and constitutional rights to free speech, association, due process, and the rule of law without challenge'.
Trump's agenda includes deploying counter-terrorism agencies against leftwing groups. In May, Republicans tried to add language to Trump's spending bill that could strip 'terrorist-supporting' organisations of non-profit status. Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Stop Funders Act, which would allow prosecution of groups deemed to coordinate violent riots. Last month, Trump designated 'antifa' a terrorist organisation.
OSF said it 'unequivocally' condemns terrorism and does not fund it, noting grantees must abide by human rights principles. The organisation called the accusations 'politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with'. Diane Yentel of the National Council of Nonprofits warned that targeting non-profits forces them to waste resources on responding to attacks instead of their missions.
Soros has long been a target of rightwing leaders, who often use antisemitic stereotypes. OSF said they oppose open society values and want a world where human rights are respected and democracies are accountable.
