On August 27, 2025, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social with a fiery message that reignited the longstanding feud between his administration and the Soros family, a prominent force in progressive politics. In a post that quickly reverberated through political circles and newsrooms alike, Trump demanded that his administration pursue federal racketeering charges under the RICO Act against billionaire philanthropist George Soros, now 95, and his son Alex Soros. The president accused them, without providing evidence, of supporting violent protests across the United States and warned, "We’re watching you!"
Trump’s post was as unambiguous as it was provocative. "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," he wrote. Trump continued, "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. Be careful, we’re watching you!"
This wasn’t the first time the Soros family found itself in Trump’s crosshairs, but the explicit call for RICO charges and the chilling warning marked a new escalation. The Soros family, through the Open Society Foundations, has long been a significant funder of progressive causes and candidates, making them a frequent target of criticism from the GOP and especially from Trump-aligned circles. According to Daily Mail, the family has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to progressive organizations and local prosecutors who have challenged the Trump administration in court.
The timing of Trump's threat is notable. It comes as his administration has ramped up criminal investigations into several political adversaries. Just days before the Truth Social post, the FBI raided the home and office of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser turned outspoken critic. The raid was reportedly part of an investigation into Bolton’s handling of classified documents for his memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which paints a critical portrait of Trump’s first term. Editorials from both The Wall Street Journal and National Review have criticized the probe, with the former asserting, "vengeance is a large part, maybe the largest part, of how he [Trump] will define success in his second term," and the latter suggesting the investigation "sounds more like a personalized grievance against a fierce Trump critic rather than a dispassionate probe of a particular violation of the law."
Trump’s administration has not limited its legal scrutiny to Bolton. In recent weeks, the president has also called for investigations into former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, fired Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, and targeted Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, who has since established a legal defense fund in response to a Justice Department probe into his finances. According to The New York Sun, these actions are widely seen as part of a broader pattern of increased legal pressure on political opponents.
The Soros family’s response to Trump’s accusations was swift and unequivocal. The Open Society Foundations issued a statement to the Daily Mail declaring, "These accusations are outrageous and false. The Open Society Foundations do not support or fund violent protests. Our mission is to advance human rights, justice, and democratic principles at home and around the world." The spokesperson added, "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." On X (formerly Twitter), the organization reiterated its commitment to "advance human rights, justice, and democratic principles in the United States and around the world," pushing back firmly against the president’s claims.
George Soros, a Hungarian-born financier and philanthropist, has been a fixture in American politics for decades, often cast as a villain by right-wing politicians and media. In 2023, Soros handed the reins of the Open Society Foundations to his youngest son, Alex Soros. The younger Soros has continued his father’s legacy, supporting progressive candidates and causes, and during the 2024 election, he raised money for Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris. Alex Soros is also married to Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, further entrenching the family in the Democratic establishment.
The Soros organization’s funding of progressive prosecutors and attorney generals has drawn particular ire from the Trump camp. These officials have often found themselves in direct legal conflict with the Trump administration, challenging its policies in court and, in some cases, launching investigations of their own. The Daily Mail notes that this pattern of support has made the Soros family a "major boogeyman in GOP circles."
For their part, Republicans have long accused Soros of bankrolling violent demonstrations and riots, though they have rarely produced concrete evidence to support these claims. Trump’s latest outburst did not specify which incidents he was referencing, nor did it provide details to substantiate the sweeping allegations. Nonetheless, the rhetoric fits into a broader narrative advanced by some on the right, which paints progressive donors as shadowy figures orchestrating unrest from behind the scenes.
Trump’s threats against the Soros family come at a time when the boundaries between political rivalry and legal action appear increasingly blurred. Since beginning his second term, Trump has called for the arrests of multiple political foes, including New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The administration’s willingness to wield the machinery of government against opponents has alarmed critics, who warn of the dangers posed to democratic norms and the rule of law.
Adding a further twist to the saga, shortly before leaving office, President Joe Biden awarded George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The gesture was seen by some as a recognition of Soros’s decades-long commitment to philanthropy and human rights, while others viewed it as a partisan provocation.
As the 2024 election cycle recedes and the nation looks toward a turbulent future, the clash between Trump and the Soros family stands as a microcosm of deeper divisions—between left and right, between visions of democracy, and between the use of power for retribution or for principle. With both sides digging in and the rhetoric only intensifying, the prospect of a political détente seems more distant than ever.
For now, the Soros family remains defiant, insisting their mission is to advance justice and democracy, not violence. Trump, meanwhile, shows no sign of backing down, making clear that in his America, political opposition may come with very real legal risks. The nation, it seems, will be watching—just as closely as the president claims to be.
