U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for billionaire philanthropist George Soros and his son Alex to face criminal charges, accusing them—without evidence—of supporting violent protests across the United States.
“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more,” AFP cited Trump writing on his Truth Social platform, invoking a US law commonly used to prosecute organised crime.
Trump did not cite a specific incident to justify the demand, but the statement comes amid a series of criminal investigations against his political opponents and follows a long-standing pattern of attacks on the Soros family, a frequent target of right-wing conspiracy theories.
The Open Society Foundations, the global philanthropic network founded by Soros, dismissed Trump’s remarks. “These accusations are outrageous and false. The Open Society Foundations do not support or fund violent protests,” a spokesperson told AFP.
The spokesperson further affirmed the organisation’s commitment to democratic principles, saying it supports “rights to free speech and peaceful protest that are hallmarks of any vibrant democracy.”
Conspiracies linking Soros to political unrest resurfaced in June when demonstrations erupted in Los Angeles against increased immigration raids. Trump used the protests as justification to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the Democrat-led city. At the time, online claims that Soros-funded groups had staged the protests or provided bricks for use against police were thoroughly debunked by fact-checkers, including AFP.
Now aged 95, Hungarian-born Soros has been vilified by far-right groups in the United States and Europe for his support of progressive causes and his backing of the Democratic Party. He has long been falsely accused of orchestrating migrant movements and funding protest movements, including the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd.
The repeated targeting of Soros—who is Jewish—has drawn criticism from scholars and human rights groups, who argue that such rhetoric often veers into antisemitism.
“Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends,” Trump wrote in a separate Truth Social post, adding: “We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more. Be careful, we’re watching you!”
Trump has previously claimed Soros was behind the prosecution that led to his 2024 conviction for covering up hush money payments to an adult film actress, alleging the financier “controlled” the district attorney involved in the case.
In 2023, George Soros handed control of the Open Society Foundations to his son Alex, who has since emerged as a vocal supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the 2024 election.
Shortly before leaving office in January, US President Joe Biden awarded George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honour—in recognition of his global contributions to democracy, human rights, education, and social justice. - August 28, 2025
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