President Donald J. Trump reportedly escalated his longstanding criticism of liberal financier George Soros on Wednesday, threatening both the billionaire and his son Alex with potential racketeering charges in a fiery Truth Social post.
“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America,” Mr. Trump wrote. “We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to ‘BREATHE,’ and be FREE. Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends.”
The president concluded with a blunt warning: “Be careful, we’re watching you! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The Soros family has long been a target of conservative criticism, particularly for their extensive financial backing of progressive causes.
George Soros, a billionaire who has poured billions into liberal political movements and organizations, handed leadership of his philanthropic network — the Soros Open Society Foundation — to his son Alex in 2023.
Conservatives have argued that the family’s activism has destabilized American communities by underwriting protest movements, criminal justice reforms, and left-leaning candidates.
Mr. Trump’s comments reflect a broader theme of his second-term agenda: a more aggressive posture against what he views as coordinated campaigns to weaken the country from within.
By invoking RICO, the federal statute typically used to prosecute organized crime, the president signaled his intent to treat left-wing political funding as a matter of national security rather than simply ideological disagreement.
The post also came less than a week after the FBI conducted a raid on the home and office of John Bolton, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser turned outspoken critic.
The timing has prompted speculation that the administration’s justice system is increasingly being wielded in political battles.
Editorial voices across the spectrum have noted the unusual circumstances. The Wall Street Journal observed that “vengeance is a large part, maybe the largest part, of how he [Trump] will define success in his second term.” National Review, while often sympathetic to conservative governance, warned that the Bolton investigation “sounds more like a personalized grievance against a fierce Trump critic rather than a dispassionate probe of a particular violation of the law.”
Yet the president’s remarks on Soros were more direct than his usual barbs against political opponents. For Mr. Trump, the Soros family represents not just ideological adversaries but what he sees as a network undermining the nation’s stability. His portrayal of Soros and his allies as “psychopaths” echoes his broader campaign language about restoring order and protecting American sovereignty.
Whether the threat of RICO charges materializes remains uncertain. But Mr. Trump’s message underscored his readiness to bring high-profile liberal figures into the center of his political and legal battles, while sharpening the distinction he draws between his administration and the progressive movements that Soros has spent decades financing.
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