Vice President JD Vance is on a mission to hold powerful left-leaning grantmaking organizations accountable for their alleged role in fueling violent protests and political unrest.
The Washington Examiner reported that following the tragic assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Vance and other Trump administration officials have zeroed in on groups like the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations, accusing them of misusing tax-exempt status to bankroll chaos and division.
During a heartfelt memorial episode of the Charlie Kirk Show on September 14, 2025, Vance didn’t mince words about his disdain for organizations that seem to cheer such a loss.
“No unity” with those celebrating Kirk’s death, he declared, pointing a finger at groups that fund divisive narratives. Well, if unity means turning a blind eye to funded vitriol, perhaps division is the clearer path.
Vance’s ire was particularly aimed at the Ford Foundation for its financial support of The Nation, a publication that argued Kirk didn’t deserve mourning due to his supposed divisive rhetoric.
The piece even misattributed a racist quote to Kirk, a sloppy error that Vance rightly flagged as fuel for unnecessary hate. If you’re going to critique, at least get the facts straight—otherwise, it’s just propaganda with a byline.
The Ford Foundation’s footprint doesn’t stop at media. Since 2017, it has funneled nearly $20 million to Color of Change, a group tied to the “Stop Cop City” protests in Atlanta, which have raged since 2021 against a proposed police training facility. These demonstrations aren’t peaceful marches—think vandalism, property destruction, and violent clashes with law enforcement.
Color of Change isn’t just a bystander; it actively supports the “Stop Cop City” movement through petitions and mobilization efforts, even praising illegal tactics like encampments and defending a protester who shot an officer in the leg.
When one of their supported actions led to a deadly confrontation with police, you’d think reflection might follow—but instead, they’ve doubled down, pushing to drop domestic terrorism charges against 23 demonstrators arrested in March 2023 after attacking the facility with rocks and firebombs.
The Ford Foundation’s reach extends beyond Atlanta, with $30.4 million given to the Center for Popular Democracy, which organized a protest outside the Heritage Foundation’s D.C. headquarters in early 2024 against Project 2025.
Attendees didn’t just chant—they shouted threats at staffers, a far cry from civil discourse. When activism crosses into intimidation, it’s hard to call it progress.
Other Ford grantees, like People’s Action Institute with $14 million since 2017, have orchestrated roadblocks, while UnidosUS, receiving $13 million in the same period, played a role in protests following George Floyd’s death in 2020.
Those riots, let’s not forget, caused over $1 billion in property damage, injured more than 2,000 officers, and led to 19 deaths alongside over 10,000 arrests. That’s not justice; it’s devastation with a hashtag.
The Open Society Foundations, backed by the Soros family, aren’t off the hook either, with Vance and others scrutinizing their funding of pro-Palestinian university encampments and “No Kings” protests where dozens faced arrest.
Their past support for groups linked to entities designated as terrorist fundraisers by the U.S. Treasury raises even more red flags. Philanthropy shouldn’t be a blank check for extremism.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller echoed Vance’s concerns on September 15, 2025, urging a crackdown on nonprofits that stoke political violence and riots. If organizations are using tax-exempt dollars to fund chaos, shouldn’t there be accountability? The question isn’t whether to investigate—it’s why it hasn’t happened sooner.
President Donald Trump has even floated using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act against George Soros and his son Alex for their philanthropic endeavors.
While some might call that a stretch, the pattern of funded unrest—from Atlanta to D.C.—makes you wonder if there’s more than just idealism at play. Legal tools exist for a reason; perhaps it’s time to use them.
Color of Change’s open endorsement of “Stop Cop City” tactics, including raising funds for legal defenses and dismissing arrests as baseless, shows a troubling disregard for law and order. Petitions are one thing, but rallying support for violence undercuts any claim to moral high ground. It’s activism with a blindfold, ignoring the real-world harm.
The right to protest is sacred, but when it veers into violence or destruction, it’s no longer about free speech—it’s about consequences. Groups like the Center for Popular Democracy, with their history of mass arrests for blocking streets and storming offices, seem to confuse disruption with dialogue. There’s a line, and it’s been crossed too often.