President Donald Trump and his Republican allies plan to target progressive groups they consider political opponents in a sign of deepening “authoritarianism,” a US watchdog has warned. .
The next president could pass legislation that would use the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to target nonprofit organizations and researchers, launch politically motivated investigations, and restrict their activities. .
Adrian Watson of the Congressional Integrity Project (CIP) told the Guardian: “President Trump intends to use his second term to attack the progressive ecosystem and his perceived enemies. “I made something clear.” “This is an alarming development of President Trump’s authoritarianism and will undermine our democracy.”
CIP announced Wednesday that it aims to counter these abuses of power with new efforts to protect progressive organizations and individuals. The Civil Defense Project will be led by Watson, a former White House and Democratic National Committee press secretary.
President Trump’s second-term agenda overlaps significantly with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation think tank’s policy blueprint, which includes plans to attack nonprofits, researchers, and civil society organizations that have challenged election denialism. There is growing concern because of this.
Activists say the threat extends beyond political investigations and includes using government agencies such as the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service to investigate, prosecute, and shut down organizations that oppose the administration’s policies. .
President Trump has previously nominated people to key positions with a history of targeting nonprofit groups with whom he disagrees, including Billy Long for head of the Internal Revenue Service and Pam Bondi for attorney general. Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to head the FBI, has vowed to “go after” media outlets and nonprofit organizations that he claims “helped Joe Biden rig the presidential election.”
Congressional Republicans have a history of targeting nonprofit organizations such as charities, advocacy groups and universities, according to CIP. This includes recent efforts to investigate and restrict the activities of tax-exempt organizations that support causes they oppose.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, a Trump ally, called on the Justice Department to shut down organizations that support civil disobedience protests. Sen. J.D. Vance, who is currently vice president, has introduced a bill that would withdraw federal aid from universities that fail to stop student protests and impose a 50% sales tax.
Republicans have vowed to continue investigating Joe Biden and his family, even though previous investigations have found no evidence of wrongdoing. House Administration Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk is calling for a new committee to investigate the January 6, 2021 attack and the original January 6 committee.
In another ominous sign, the House last month passed a bill that would give the Treasury Department the power to unilaterally revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations that claim to support terrorism. Critics have expressed concern that the law could be used to quash dissent.
And on Wednesday, the House Administration Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing investigating allegations of “foreign interference” in the election by the Democratic Party’s fundraising platform ActBlue and others. Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to continue investigations into Act Blue and progressive groups and campaigns into the next Congress.
The Civil Defense Project said it will act as a rapid response war room to debunk attacks and protect those who have been unfairly targeted. CIP will continue to work to hold investigators accountable for partisan attacks.
“Donald Trump and his MAGA allies have indicated over the last month that they intend to use their newly acquired position of power to persecute their political opponents,” Watson said. “The Congressional Integrity Project is proud to launch a new program to protect individuals and progressive infrastructure from these baseless attacks, while continuing our important work to hold accountable those who abuse their positions. Masu.”
