7am Trump’s retribution list
Sep 29, 2025
Kenneth Roth, former Human Rights Watch director and federal prosecutor, discusses the unsettling implications of Trump’s retributive approach to justice. He highlights how investigations into political figures like James Comey are part of a broader trend of undermining checks and balances. Roth delves into the politically motivated scrutiny of organizations like the Open Society Foundations and warns of the chilling effects this has on civil society. His insights shed light on Trump’s use of autocratic tactics that threaten democratic norms in the U.S.
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Early Partnership With George Soros
- Kenneth Roth met George Soros more than three decades ago when Human Rights Watch was tiny and Soros was early in his philanthropy.
- Soros focused on funding civil society, journalism and education to build democracy from the bottom up.
Soros Targeted Using Questionable Claims
- Trump has directed investigations at Open Society Foundations by blaming progressive groups for political violence after the Charlie Kirk assassination.
- Kenneth Roth says the claims rest on tendentious right-wing reports and contradict Soros's long record of promoting peaceful debate.
Al-Haq's Longstanding Human Rights Role
- Kenneth Roth has worked with Al-Haq for decades and describes it as the leading Palestinian human rights group based in Ramallah.
- He explains Israel previously labeled Al-Haq a terrorist group to delegitimize it, a claim Trump seized on to attack Soros.