US President Donald Trump’s September 25 memorandum directing federal agencies to investigate what it describes as a nationwide conspiracy to foment political violence constitutes a serious threat to human rights and democratic institutions, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Friday.

The memorandum, “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,” instructs law enforcement and intelligence agencies to “investigate” and “disrupt” alleged networks of donors, NGOs, and activists said to be funding extremist activity. It also directs the IRS to scrutinize nonprofit entities and orders Joint Terrorism Task Forces to lead the effort.

The memorandum defines the extremist activity as “self-described ‘anti-fascism’” and lists alleged examples such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 2024 assassination “of a senior healthcare executive,” the 2022 assassination attempt of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, two assassination attempts against President Trump, as well as several political “riots.”

One reference, the 2024 assassination of a “senior healthcare executive” is widely understood to refer to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot in December 2024. Earlier this week, President Trump connected suspect Luigi Mangione to Antifa.

Magione’s lawyers rejected the White House’s portrayal, saying in court filings that efforts to depict him as a left-wing extremist were “false, prejudicial, and part of a greater political narrative.” They argued Mangione neither condones political violence nor has ties to Antifa, which the White House statement had suggested.

During the signing of the memorandum in the Oval Office, FBI Director Kash Patel stated, “[O]ur citizens are being attacked by organized violence, and it’s being paid for by other people. So what we are going to do is follow the money … We are going to properly chase them down like the domestic terrorists that they are.”

HRW Executive Director Federico Borello criticized the memorandum, stating:

President Trump’s order mobilizing federal law enforcement to investigate perceived opponents of his administration turns reality on its head … It fabricates a nonexistent plot as a pretext to suppress speech and ideas across the US political spectrum … When the US president undermines rights and democratic principles at home, it sends a green light to autocrats everywhere. Concerned governments should speak up about the serious threats to civil and political rights in the United States and urge the Trump administration to reverse course.

HRW criticized the directive as a sweeping and vague attempt to criminalize dissent, warning that its broad language risks chilling free expression and association. The group emphasized that targeting civil society actors without evidence undermines due process and the presumption of innocence.

HRW expressed concern that the memorandum comes amidst reports that the US Department of Justice is considering opening investigations into the Open Society Foundations (OSF), founded by philanthropist George Soros, on grounds ranging from arson to terrorism support. The OSF funds various civil and human rights organizations, including HRW.