Trump to Use IRS to Expose Antifa Funding, Peter Schweizer Says
Tuesday on Sinclair’s “The National News Desk,” Government Accountability Institute president Peter Schweizer said that Trump will use the Internal Revenue Service to uncover the funding of Antifa groups.
Schweizer called it an enforcement move: follow the money and expose who bankrolls politically violent activity. Republicans see this as accountability, not a partisan stunt. Donors who fund violence shouldn’t hide behind nonprofit labels.
The IRS enforces rules on tax-exempt groups, and those rules matter when behavior turns political or criminal. Any probe must respect legal protections. Still, the financial trail can reveal networks that threaten public safety.
Opponents will cry politicization and cite donor privacy and First Amendment issues. Republicans push back: exposing money tied to violence is law enforcement, not a political witch hunt. The difference matters.
Schweizer has a track record of digging into financial webs, so his take resonates with conservative audiences. He’s pushed transparency on political funding before. He sees the IRS as a practical way to follow the paper trail.
In practice this would run through audits, subpoenas and court orders, not headlines. That forces evidence into legal channels. Targets get their day in court.
There are real risks. Sloppy probes could chill legit political giving and feed fears of a weaponized federal government. Republicans argue strict standards and oversight must be built in.
Congress and the courts are natural checks and will be watching if the IRS moves. Republicans say any effort should be narrow, evidence-driven and legally tight. Promised safeguards will be key.
The reaction will be loud. The fight will shift from legal jargon to basic questions about safety and transparency. For conservatives it’s straightforward: money that fuels violence shouldn’t be hidden.
Using tax enforcement as an investigative lens will test the balance between accountability and civil liberties. Expect court fights, hearings and nonstop headlines. This won’t be quiet.
The IRS has a thin track record with politically charged probes, from Tea Party audits to reforms meant to curb bias. Republicans will point to those lessons and call for tight scope and evidence. The aim should be fixing blind spots, not repeating old errors.
Legally the shapes matter: 501(c)(3) charities, 501(c)(4) social welfare groups and political committees follow different rules. When coordination with campaigns or funding of violence appears, tax and election law lines blur. Republicans say tightening those lines protects voters and holds bad actors accountable.
Coordination matters: FinCEN, Treasury and DOJ bring anti-money-laundering muscle. Banks file suspicious activity reports that often feed tax and criminal probes. Republicans see a cross-agency push as the best way to close loopholes.
Legal fights will focus on what counts as coordination and what stays protected speech. Judges will weigh statutes, past rulings and the facts of any case. Republicans want a tight definition that goes after clear funding for violent acts without chilling normal civic giving.
Expect the story to be litigated and litigated again, with hearings and appeals stretching the process out. Media coverage will shape public opinion and pressure officials on both sides. For Republicans, success looks like lawful exposure of bad actors while preserving basic freedoms.
