The Trump administration has intensified its campaign against left-leaning organizations following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with Vice President JD Vance and other officials promising to use federal resources to target what they call “terrorist networks.” Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested in connection with the shooting and is expected to face murder charges. Authorities say Robinson acted alone and have not established a clear motive for the attack. According to The Hill, speaking on Kirk’s podcast on Monday, Vance declared that “we’re going after the NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence.” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, appearing alongside Vance, promised to “use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks.” Administration officials signal broad crackdown on liberal organizations The administration’s response has extended beyond targeting the alleged shooter. Attorney General Pam Bondi sparked controversy by suggesting the Justice Department would prosecute those engaging in “hate speech” and threatened legal action against Office Depot over an employee’s refusal to print posters honoring Kirk. Bondi later clarified her comments, saying the department would only prosecute speech that incites violence. ARREST George Soros and the VIOLENT TransCreature Mafia.“We’re going to go after the Far-Left NGO Network that instigates and facilitates violence…” pic.twitter.com/7eImuyMQ1f— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) September 15, 2025 Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the potential use of federal racketeering laws against protesters, suggesting that demonstrators who confronted Trump at a Washington restaurant could face RICO charges. The administration has also indicated it may designate the anti-fascist movement Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. In response to the administration’s threats, 100 nonprofit organizations issued an open letter warning that such moves would impact their advocacy work and funding. “Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve,” the coalition said in the letter. “We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms.” Representative Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor, criticized the administration’s approach as an abuse of the justice system. He warned that federal agencies could issue subpoenas requiring small nonprofits to spend tens of thousands of dollars on legal responses, potentially bankrupting them even without evidence of wrongdoing. The Trump administration has been criticized for running out of qualified staff as key officials have resigned over policy disputes. “This is really just a pretext to run these small organizations out of business,” Goldman said. The administration’s targets appear to include major liberal foundations, with Vance specifically mentioning the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations during his podcast appearance. Both organizations have condemned Kirk’s killing and denied any connection to political violence. Recent investigations have shown that several Trump administration officials maintain connections to Project 2025, raising questions about the broader agenda behind these targeting efforts.