Former President Donald Trump has called for billionaire philanthropist George Soros and his son Alex Soros to be charged under federal racketeering laws, accusing them of supporting violent protests “and much more.” Trump made the claims in a social-media post on Wednesday, offering no evidence and without clarifying which protests he was referring to.
“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,” Trump wrote. He warned Soros to “be careful,” adding, “We’re watching you!” Trump further alleged that Soros and his allies had “caused great damage to our country.”
The remarks drew swift pushback from the Open Society Foundations, the philanthropic organization founded by Soros and chaired by his son Alex. The group issued a statement calling Trump’s accusations “outrageous and false,” stressing that it does not fund or support violent protests. “Our mission is to advance human rights, justice, and democratic principles at home and around the world,” the foundation said. “We stand for fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including the rights to free speech and peaceful protest that are hallmarks of any vibrant democracy.”
Trump invoked the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a law historically used by prosecutors to dismantle organized crime syndicates, including the conviction of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. He did not provide details on how he believed the Soros family could fall under the statute.
