U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing for a state visit to Britain, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

By James Oliphant

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -More than 120 left-leaning groups, facing a threatened crackdown by President Donald Trump, released a letter on Wednesday condemning what they call efforts to exploit political violence to distort their work and curb their “fundamental freedoms.”

The Trump administration has intensified scrutiny of liberal organizations following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Trump and members of his administration have portrayed liberal groups as contributors to a culture of hate speech, sparking fears among these groups of potential government action against them.

Signatories to the letter include left-leaning foundations that have been publicly named by the administration as potential targets, such as the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations and the Tides Foundation, but also more mainstream nonprofits such as the Bush Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation.

“We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give,” the letter reads.

“Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans.”

Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials have signaled they plan to use the power of the federal government to clamp down on what they view as a liberal assault on conservative values.

Trump has suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi could use the federal racketeering statute to prosecute groups he claims are funding left-wing violence. He has also mentioned designating some leftist groups as terrorist organizations.

If it follows through with such a move, it would mark the latest escalation in a broader campaign by the Trump administration to challenge left-leaning institutions.

The alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, 22, is in a Utah jail cell, charged with aggravated murder for the killing of Kirk, 31, a Trump ally. Prosecutors have not detailed a motive for the crime.

Civil rights advocates have long criticized Kirk for comments they describe as racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic, and misogynistic, citing his public remarks about Black Americans, LGBTQ+ communities, Muslims and immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

His supporters, however, describe him as a staunch defender of conservative values and a champion of public debate who galvanized young voters and helped mobilize support for Trump.

(Reporting by James Oliphant, editing by Ross Colvin and Alistair Bell)