Washington, D.C. — A new report from Puck reveals the Trump administration is constructing a sprawling “counterterrorism” apparatus to go after nonprofits and civil society groups at home and abroad. At a State Department meeting this summer, Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller stood before delegations from dozens of countries and invented a “terrorism” threat broad enough to cover any political dissent the administration disagrees with. They’ve already slapped Foreign Terrorist Organization designations on left-leaning groups abroad and offered rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of their funding. Now nonprofits, activists, and civil society organizations across the country are left to wonder if they’re next in line.
In response, Congressional Integrity Project Senior Adviser Jeremy Funk released the following statement:
“Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are laundering a political enemies list through the language of terrorism and national security. They are crushing dissent because they are terrified of anyone offering a different vision for this country, and they are desperate to hold onto power by any means necessary. Slapping a terrorism label on nonprofits and advocacy groups is how despots operate. Congress needs to demand answers right now about who is being targeted, why, and at whose direction, before this administration uses its own manufactured war on terror to silence every American who dares to disagree with Donald Trump.”
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