Why Trump is calling Southern Poverty Law Center a ‘Democratic hoax’

PoliticsOpinion
24 Apr 2026 • 11:28 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Why Trump is calling Southern Poverty Law Center a ‘Democratic hoax’

  • President Trump criticized the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a "political scam" after his Department of Justice (DOJ) charged the civil rights group.
  • The SPLC faces an 11-count indictment alleging it concealed payments of at least $3 million to informants who infiltrated right-wing hate groups.
  • Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel accused the SPLC of deceiving donors and regulators by using "sham" accounts and "fictitious companies."
  • SPLC CEO Bryan Fair denounced the charges as "false allegations," stating the organization would vigorously defend itself and its work, crediting informants with saving lives.
  • President Trump linked the charges to his claims of a stolen 2020 presidential election, suggesting the election should be invalidated if the fraud allegations against SPLC are true.

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