Trump calls for criminal prosecution of Soros

The US president has accused the billionaire of trying to “rip apart” America by supporting violent protests and via other means

US President Donald Trump has called for criminal charges to be brought against billionaire George Soros as well as his son for causing “great damage.” The Hungarian-American investor has long supported various civil movements through his NGOs and has repeatedly been linked to protests throughout the US and in other countries.

In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump claimed that George Soros and his son, Alexander Soros, should be prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a US federal law typically used to charge members of criminal groups.

Trump argued that the Soros family’s support for “violent protests” and other actions across the US amounted to grounds for such charges, and declared that the billionaire would no longer be allowed to “rip apart America.” 

He added that the speculator and his “group of psychopaths” and “crazy, west coast friends” had caused “great damage” to the US.

While Trump did not specify which “violent protests” he was referring to, his remarks have come in the wake of large-scale demonstrations this summer. 

Read more

In June, protests against federal immigration raids in Los Angeles escalated into rioting, looting, and arson, along with clashes with police, leading to hundreds of arrests and the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops.

Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) has also provided funding to civil rights and activist groups across the US, including organizations involved in Black Lives Matter and other protest movements, some of which have been linked to violence.

Soros’s name has also recently resurfaced in connection with the 2016 “Russiagate” smear campaign. Earlier this month, the US Senate Judiciary Committee released a report alleging that OSF had links to the Clinton campaign’s efforts to promote the debunked claims of collusion between Trump and Russia.