Trump Targets ActBlue, Raising Alarm Over Weaponization of Federal Power

President Donald Trump, according to reporting by Nicholas Riccardi of AP News, signed a memorandum on April 24, 2025, ordering the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, to investigate ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s dominant small-dollar fundraising platform.

The investigation centers on allegations that ActBlue facilitated illegal foreign contributions and “straw” donations—where individuals contribute on behalf of others to skirt legal limits. Riccardi’s reporting underscores that the move has been met with fierce criticism from democracy scholars, who argue that Trump is using federal power as a tool to punish political opponents.

Details of the Investigation

As detailed by Nicholas Riccardi for AP News, the Trump administration’s directive follows Republican-led congressional inquiries that found ActBlue had flagged at least 22 major fraud campaigns in recent years, nearly half with ties to foreign sources. One congressional report highlighted that during a 30-day span in the 2024 election cycle, ActBlue identified 237 donations originating from foreign IP addresses and involving prepaid cards.

Although ActBlue implemented new security measures in early 2024—including CVV verification requirements and banning certain prepaid cards—Republican investigators criticized the reforms as inadequate.

In public statements reported by AP News, ActBlue officials condemned the DOJ’s probe as “politically motivated” and reaffirmed their compliance with federal campaign finance laws.

Selective Targeting and Democratic Concerns

Nicholas Riccardi’s reporting also notes that Trump’s executive order pointedly excludes WinRed, the Republican Party’s parallel fundraising platform, despite facing similar vulnerabilities. This selective focus has intensified accusations that the probe is less about securing elections and more about disabling Democratic infrastructure ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Democracy experts have sounded alarms. Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth College, warned:

“We’re well past Watergate. The investigation of ActBlue makes clear that we’re not in a fully democratic country. In a democracy, opposition parties don’t have to fight uphill.”

Broader Pattern of Escalation

Riccardi’s AP News article places the ActBlue investigation within a broader trend defining Trump’s second term: the systematic use of the executive branch to target media outlets, universities, judges, and now major political fundraising networks.

While no formal charges have yet been filed against ActBlue, the probe itself has forced the Democratic Party onto the defensive, siphoning attention and resources at a critical moment in the election cycle—a form of political warfare that achieves strategic effects even without courtroom victories.

Critics argue that Trump’s tactics are corroding fundamental democratic norms and accelerating a shift toward authoritarian governance.