George Soros, Reid Hoffman are agitators, anarchists: Trump calls for probe into protest funding

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said Democratic Party donors and billionaires George Soros and Reid Hoffman should be investigated for allegedly financing protests against the government and supporting what his administration described as “left-wing terrorism.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked to name possible individuals behind such activities. He singled out Soros and Hoffman, referring to them as “agitators” and “anarchists.”

“Well, Soros is a name certainly that I keep hearing. I don’t know, but Soros is the name that I hear. I hear a lot of different names,” Trump said.

“I hear names of some pretty rich people that are radical left people. Maybe I hear about a guy named Reid Hoffman,” he added, referring to the LinkedIn co-founder.

“Somebody’s a pretty rich guy, I guess. And I hear about him. I don’t know. Maybe it could be him. Could be a lot of people. We hear the same names, but they’re bad, and we’re going to find out. And if they are funding these things, they’re going to have some problems because they’re agitators and they’re anarchists,” the President said.

“These are anarchists. Really bad,” Trump remarked.

His comments came in the backdrop of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month and a shooting outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, which left one detainee dead and two others injured.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump called for billionaire George Soros and his son to face criminal charges over unfounded claims that their family, a favorite right-wing target, is behind "violent protests" around the country.