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WASHINGTON – The debate over political violence continued to rage here this week as President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting left-wing anti-fascist groups and a gunman attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas. The FBI is investigating the ICE incident as an “act of targeted violence.” The assailant, who turned his gun on himself, killed two detainees and critically injured another. No ICE officers were injured. But violence and threats of violence against immigration enforcement officers have spiked. The FBI said that rounds were found near the shooter that contained “messages that are anti-ICE in nature.” “This violence is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to ‘Nazis,’” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The incident occurred two weeks after the shooting death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk by a sniper at an event in Orem, Utah, which fueled fears of a new wave of political violence in the United States. Related: How a federal government shutdown would affect Minnesotans Kirk’s death also prompted an escalation of Trump’s war on “the radical left.” In an executive order he signed Monday, Trump declared that antifa, a loose affiliation of individuals who fight white supremacy and right-wing extremism, is a “domestic terror organization.” The White House said other actions could follow, including the possible prosecution of non-governmental organizations and foundations that the Trump administration determines support political violence. The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits sent a statement to its more than 2,000 members this week warning that “nonprofits face a new round of threats as the White House blames ‘radical left NGOs’ for political violence despite no evidence.” “This executive order is a threat to the entire sector and fundamental principles of American democracy,” the council said. “While the Administration may claim they are only targeting the nonprofits who support domestic terrorists, they’re setting the stage for a completely subjective execution of political power that defies our traditional rule of law and fundamental rights upon which this country was founded.” The executive order is part of a wider campaign by Trump and his administration that targets the president’s critics, political opponents and media. Trump demanded last weekend that the U.S. Justice Department move quickly to prosecute his political enemies and has targeted liberal protesters and donors. The White House, meanwhile, released a list of what it determined were politically motivated attacks by “radical leftists,” including the fatal shooting of two children at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis and the unrest in the city following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Nowhere on the White House’s list are there any incidents of right-wing violence, including the fatal shooting in Minnesota of DFL state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and the severe wounding of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Nor was the attempted assassination of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on that list. A ‘malignant political hack’ Having rejected negotiations with Democratic leaders in Congress that could avoid a government shutdown, President Donald Trump ramped up the pressure by threatening a mass firing of federal workers if the government is shuttered. The Office of Management and Budget sent a memo to federal agencies late Wednesday that said all agencies should consider firing any employees who are not working on Trump priorities, like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The process of downsizing a federal agency is known as a “reduction in force,” or RIF. And the OMB memo said that once the federal government is funded again, the agencies should permanently shrink their workforce. “Once fiscal year 2026 appropriations are enacted, agencies should revise their RIFs as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” the memo said. Any such layoffs would add to those initiated earlier this year, the memo said. Congressional Democrats have insisted on concessions in return for their support for a stop-gap spending bill that would avert a shutdown after Sept. 30, when current funding for the government will end. The Democratic demands include a reversal of Medicaid cuts in the OBBB, and the extension of expanded subsidies that help people purchase insurance in Affordable Care Act exchanges. Related: D.C. Memo: Trump reaction to Kirk shooting ignites partisan rancor in Washington Echoing Trump, the memo accused Democrats of “insane demands” that would cost $1 trillion. Democratic leaders said the memo was meant to intimidate them, and said it wasn’t working. “Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one — not to govern, but to scare,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. These unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today.” Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lambasted OMB chief Russell Vought on X. “Listen Russ, you are a malignant political hack,” Jeffries said. “We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4th District, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, also condemned the move. “Donald Trump and Russ Vought’s threats to fire public servants who deliver services that Americans rely on are another escalation of the administration’s efforts to undermine and demoralize those who serve all of us,” McCollum said. She also said “Congress and the courts have a duty to hold this administration accountable and prevent their illegal efforts to erode the services that Americans rely on.” During government shutdowns, federal workers deemed not “essential” would be furloughed without pay and those deemed essential would remain on the job without pay. But, normally, the furloughed workers return to work when the government is funded again, and all federal workers would receive back pay. In other news: Reporter Matthew Blake wrote about a “Leviathan” bill approved in the last session of the Legislature that might violate Minnesota’s constitution — and be ripe for a number of lawsuits — because it contained hundreds of subjects. A federal government shutdown is looking inevitable and this story details how the disruption of services would affect Minnesotans. Brian Arola, in a piece written with the Rural News Network, looked at the centrality of grocery stores in small towns — and the difficulties they face in staying open. One thing grocers are concerned about is changes in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a source of income for many stores. We shared an Associated Press piece on a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department against Minnesota and five other states over the Trump administration’s efforts to collect voter data. In Fact Briefs, Brian Arola answered this question often asked by fiscally conscious Minnesotans: Does the state kick in more taxes to the federal government than it gets back in federal aid? Find the answer here. Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com.
