U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that progressive billionaire George Soros (95) should be charged with extortion and corruption. In a recent post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump pointed to Soros and his son Alex, stating, "They should be dealt with under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act." He continued, "This psychopathic group has caused tremendous damage to the United States" and warned, "We are watching them."
According to the U.K. Financial Times (FT) on the 28th (local time), Trump's claims came after conservative media reported that the Open Society Foundations (OSF), led by Soros, funded anti-Trump protests. The Trump camp has labeled this as "support for violent protests," pushing for legal consequences against the Soros family. However, the OSF denied the allegations, stating, "We have never supported or funded violent protests," calling Trump's claims "ridiculous falsehoods."
Soros is recognized as a Jewish Holocaust survivor and a prominent supporter of the American progressive movement. He is also frequently targeted by Trump supporters and hardline conservatives. In fact, the Soros family donated more than $85 million (approximately 1.15 trillion won) to Kamala Harris' campaign for the 2024 presidential election. Additionally, Trump has repeatedly criticized the local prosecutor who charged him in the hush money case, suggesting they were receiving support from Soros.
In fact, the controversies surrounding Soros are not recent. A notable rumor is that he was a Nazi collaborator. Some conservative media reported that Soros allegedly stated in a 1979 interview with Newsweek, "My life's mission is to destroy the United States." In response, Newsweek officially denied this, stating, "Such an interview does not exist." At that time, Soros expressed his commitment to supporting the democratization of Eastern Europe and the Open Society but did not make any direct mention of destroying the U.S.
However, the reason the controversies surrounding Soros persist is that he has openly revealed his pro-socialist political stance and his support for organizations and politicians that share his values. According to Patrick Gaspard, a former OSF executive, who spoke to Fox News on the 14th, OSF has recently supported the campaign of radical-left New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani alongside the Obama camp. As a result, Elon Musk described himself in November last year as "the George Soros of the middle" while supporting then-candidate Trump. His statement implied that because organizations led by Soros are working to destroy Western civilization, he intends to push back against a left-leaning American society.
Meanwhile, radical leftist Alex Soros, like his father George Soros, is also a figure of controversy. He has posted on social media suggesting an assassination of Trump, leading to claims that the Soros family is behind the attempt on Trump's life.
The reason Trump directly targeted the Soros family, which has long been at the center of controversy, appears to be related to suspicions that Soros is behind the 'Russia Gate' scandal. Recently, Tulsi Gabbard, Director General of National Intelligence (DNI), made waves in U.S. society by fully releasing documents related to 'Russia Gate.' The documents stated that despite no evidence that Trump, the Republican candidate, colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, then-President Barack Obama instructed intelligence agencies, with the help of then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, to manipulate evidence. Right after this document was revealed last July, Fox News reported, "Soros' OSF propagated the Russia Gate conspiracy," raising suspicions about Soros' involvement in Russia Gate.
There are also analyses suggesting that Trump's statements targeting Soros represent a move to legally pressure his political opponents. Trump has threatened figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani with potential charges or imprisonment. He has also directed investigations into former President Joe Biden and his aides, and recently, the FBI conducted a search of the home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has criticized him, indicating that the political pressure on opponents has intensified.