WASHINGTON, DC: Social media users have been sharing assertions that President Donald Trump initiated a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) investigation targeting billionaire George Soros and his affiliated network.
According to viral posts, Trump accused Soros and his organization of financing, training, and radicalizing the younger generation to drive terrorism and extremism. A closer look at the facts reveals the truth behind these claims.
Claim: Trump announced a RICO investigation into George Soros
The speculation gained traction from a post on X (formerly Twitter), which asserted that Trump had formally declared a RICO probe against Soros and his broader network, alleging they were responsible for fueling terror and radicalism.
This narrative surfaced against the backdrop of ongoing government scrutiny toward progressive nonprofit entities. In October 2025, Reuters reported that federal agencies—including the Department of Justice, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, IRS, and Treasury—were weighing investigations into groups alleged to have backed political unrest. Those reports indicated that the Open Society Foundations, established by Soros, were among the entities facing potential tax-exempt status reviews and RICO considerations.
Furthermore, in August 2025, Trump publicly demanded RICO charges against George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, alleging they backed violent demonstrations, though he offered no concrete evidence to substantiate the claim. These prior statements and policy discussions likely fueled the resurgence of the recent online rumors.
Fact Check: The claim is misleading
The assertion that President Trump recently made a fresh announcement regarding a RICO investigation into Soros is inaccurate.
While Trump did post on Truth Social on August 27, 2025, arguing that George and Alex Soros “should be charged with RICO” over alleged backing of domestic protests, there is no official record of a new announcement matching the viral October 2026 claims. The recent social media posts essentially repurposed Trump’s older statements and framed them as breaking news.
Additionally, the viral posts expanded upon Trump’s original remarks by alleging that Soros actively trained and radicalized youth to promote global terrorism—claims that were not established as fact by Trump’s public statements.
Meanwhile, representatives for the Open Society Foundations have consistently rejected accusations linking them to violent demonstrations, maintaining that the organization’s philanthropic mission centers entirely on supporting human rights, justice, and democratic governance.