Trump Ends Funding to Fight Extremist Groups

While Trump empowers extreme right-wing through his words, tweets and press conferences, his administrations ends funding to fight such groups.

WASHINGTON ― Weeks before a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to three deaths and 19 injuries, the Trump administration revoked a grant to Life After Hate, a group that works to de-radicalize neo-Nazis.

The Department of Homeland Security had awarded the group $400,000 as part of its Countering Violent Extremism program in January, just days before former President Barack Obama left office. It was the only group selected for a grant that focused exclusively on fighting white supremacy. But the grant money was not immediately disbursed. [1]

Trump’s Two Faces

The Trump administration’s decision to cut federal funding for groups fighting right-wing violence has come under new scrutiny following the president’s controversial response to violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend.

Trump, who faced a firestorm of criticism for not initially calling out white supremacists, the KKK and neo-Nazis on Saturday, explicitly denounced the hate groups by name on Monday and vowed to fight against violent extremism.

But the botched immediate response has some critics questioning the White House’s commitment to the issue, and they point to the funding cuts as evidence. [2]

References:

1. Huffington Post, August 15, 2017, Jessica Schulberg – Controversial Trump Aide Katharine Gorka Helped End Funding For Group That Fights White Supremacy – Life After Hate works to de-radicalize neo-Nazis. The Trump administration decided it wasn’t a priority.
2. The Hill, August 14, 2017, Melanie Zanona – Trump cuts funds to fight anti-right wing violence
3. Life After Hate