Leader Schumer Slams Pam Bondi For Using DOJ To Target Trump’s Perceived Political Enemies Rather Than Stopping Domestic Terrorism And Political Violence

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded the Attorney General justify the misguided approach that the Trump administration is taking to addressing domestic terrorism and political violence.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche justify the misguided approach that the Department of Justice is currently instituting to address domestic terrorism, arguing it is more a tool to target Democratic and left-leaning activism than stop political violence. The concern by Leader Schumer was prompted by Bondi's recent memorandum seeking to implement National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), which claims to be a response to domestic terrorism but reads more as a vehicle to attack Donald Trump's perceived political enemies.

"NSPM-7 distills all domestic terrorism to the Trump administration's favored antagonists, explicitly labeling broad political beliefs as warning signs of domestic terrorism. The memorandum identifies "anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity; . . . extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality" as indicators of potential violence," wrote Leader Schumer. "By defining the threat almost entirely around ideologies the President opposes, the directive blurs the line between legitimate dissent and unlawful violence, treating broad swaths of protected political speech, protest activity, and advocacy as potential terrorism worthy of investigation and prosecution."

Leader Schumer goes on to suggest that well NSPM-7 targets Democratic-leaning groups, it completely ignores organizations with a known history of violent rhetoric and extreme conduct, including the Proud Boys, Aryan Brotherhood, and the Oath Keepers. Leader Schumer worries that the administration's inability to accurately respond to established threats and previous political violence will leave the country exposed and the American people less safe.

Leader Schumer demanded that the Trump administration clarify their memorandum and ensure that constitutionally protected political speech, protest activity and advocacy can continue without being subjected to unlawful investigation and prosecution.

This letter comes as Leader Schumer and Congressional Democrats move to introduce the No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act, bicameral legislation to protect individuals and organizations, including non-profits, faith groups, media outlets, and educational institutions, from politically motivated targeting and prosecution by the federal government.

The full text of the letter can be seen here and below.

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The Honorable Pamela Bondi

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

Domestic terrorism and political violence are a direct threat to our communities and democracy, and we all share a responsibility to confront it wherever it emerges. It is critical that every administration develop a serious, evidence-based national strategy to identify, investigate, and disrupt groups-and their networks of funders and supporters-that engage in real political violence, a duty essential to safeguarding both our democratic institutions and the safety of our communities. Regrettably, the Trump administration has taken a different path.

I am deeply alarmed by your recent memorandum seeking to implement National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7). Both NSPM-7 and the Department's implementation memorandum claim to be serious responses to domestic terrorism. In reality, they are less a genuine strategy and more a tool to target Democratic and left-leaning activism while ignoring actual threats, all to wage the president's misguided campaign of political retribution.

Simply, NSPM-7 and your memorandum are not well-meaning counterterrorism efforts - rather, they appear designed to suppress political opposition. The goal is to scare nonprofits, charities, faith groups, advocacy organizations, protest movements, and donors from organizing, donating, protesting, or affiliating with groups the President dislikes by labeling those activities as national security threats.

NSPM-7 distills all domestic terrorism to the Trump administration's favored antagonists, explicitly labeling broad political beliefs as warning signs of domestic terrorism. The memorandum identifies "anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity; . . . extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality" as indicators of potential violence. But investigations and prosecutions must be grounded in conduct and evidence, not ideology or political alignment. By defining the threat almost entirely around ideologies the President opposes, the directive blurs the line between legitimate dissent and unlawful violence. In doing so, it risks treating protected political speech, protest, and advocacy as potential terrorism.

NSPM-7 largely ignores groups aligned with the President's rhetoric, overlooking right-wing extremists, organized white nationalist networks, and the recent rise in antisemitic violence linked to far-right and conspiracy-driven ideologies-even though federal data show these actors account for most domestic terrorism in the U.S. While I do not support ideological or association-based lists, NSPM-7 has been applied in a way to target the President's perceived political opponents rather than following neutral, evidence-based standards. For example, the Department has not prioritized organizations with well-documented histories of violent rhetoric and actions, such as:

• Proud Boys
• Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights (FOAK) - "the tactical defense arm" of the Proud Boys
• Oath Keepers
• Three Percenters
• Patriot Front
• Goyim Defense League (GDL)
• Ku Klux Klan
• Active Clubs
• Boogaloo Movement
• Posse Comitatus
• Veterans on Patrol
• Rise Above Movement
• Atomwaffen Division (AWD), a.k.a National Socialist Resistance Front
• Aryan Brotherhood
• National Socialist Movement (NSM)

It bears emphasizing that these organizations are not merely identified as violent based on media reporting or public perception alone; they are documented in the Justice Department's and FBI's own records. Years of intelligence assessments and case data from the Justice Department, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security confirm the serious threat these groups pose to public safety. That threat has manifested in mass-casualty attacks designed to terrorize entire communities, including racially motivated murders, antisemitic massacres, and anti-immigrant violence. By diverting resources away from tracking these movements and instead targeting lawful dissent and perceived political opponents, NSPM-7 makes the country less safe, not more secure.

Consider this concrete example: recent reports reveal a training camp in Tennessee operated by a network of White supremacists linked to the Patriot Front. This group has been actively recruiting, training, and organizing, stoking tensions in the local community and leaving neighbors fearful for their safety. This is a clear and present danger - one falling outside the scope of the Department's recent memorandum.

The Department's memorandum also directs the FBI, in coordination with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces, to "compile a list of groups or entities engaged in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism" and provide it to the Deputy Attorney General. This is an illegitimate and unlawful command, rooted in an FBI-maintained enemies list that operates in secrecy, lacks clear standards, and enables unequal investigative treatment based on whether a group aligns with or opposes the President's agenda rather than on evidence of criminal conduct. Given the profoundly misguided approach the Trump administration is taking to address domestic terrorism and political violence, I request that you provide the following information to clarify how NSPM-7 will be implemented:

1. How will the Department ensure that investigations under NSPM-7 distinguish between unlawful violence and constitutionally protected political speech, protest activity, and advocacy?
2. What safeguards will prevent ordinary donors, civic groups, or advocacy organizations from being labeled as domestic terrorists?
3. NSPM-7 references anti-Christian ideology as a priority-how will the Department ensure equal investigation of violence targeting all religious communities, including Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and others?
4. Public reporting indicates White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a non-attorney without a background in law enforcement, spearheaded the effort to draft NSPM-7. This is deeply troubling. Looking forward, what role, if any, do political advisors or non-law enforcement personnel have in setting investigative priorities, initiating cases, or making targeting decisions under NSPM-7?
5. How will the Department monitor and supervise the National Joint Terrorism Task Forces to ensure investigations are limited to actual criminal conduct and do not sweep in lawful political or civic activity?
6. What mechanisms exist to review, document, and report NSPM-7 investigations to ensure compliance with civil liberties, equal protection, and oversight requirements?

I request a written response to these questions no later than January 27, 2026.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this request. I look forward to reviewing the forthcoming responses.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

CC: Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General

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