CodePink catches heat as Trump and DOJ threaten left-wing groups

Driving the news: CodePink, a feminist grassroots nonprofit, has been named multiple times by conservative politicians and influencers as the DOJ and White House look to potentially open federal investigations into what it calls the "radical left."

• Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN Tuesday that the DOJ may investigate groups that have protested Trump, referencing the protesters who interrupted the president's D.C. dinner earlier this month.
• CodePink, which took credit for the dinner protest, was not specifically named by Blanche.

What he's saying: "Is it, again, sheer happenstance that individuals show up at a restaurant where the president is trying to enjoy dinner in Washington, D.C., and accost him with vile words and vile anger?" Blanche said on CNN Tuesday.

• "Does it mean it's just completely random that they showed up? Maybe, maybe, but to the extent that it's part of an organized effort to inflict harm and terror and damage to the United States, there's potential, potential investigations there."

This echoed Trump, who previously suggested such probes and called the protesters "professional agitators" who "should be put in jail."

• "What they are doing to this country is really subversive," Trump said.

• Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told Axios in an email: "Left-wing organizations have fueled violent riots, organized attacks against law enforcement officers, coordinated illegal doxing campaigns, arranged drop points for weapons and riot materials, and more.
• "The Trump Administration will get to the bottom of this vast network inciting violence in American communities. This effort will target those committing criminal acts and hold them accountable."

The other side: "We are a nonviolent, pro-peace organization," a CodePink spokesperson said in a statement to Axios. "Like many progressive organizations, we have faced threats of government investigations for the past two years. Nothing has ever come of these, because we have done nothing wrong."

• "Trump's response is nothing new," the spokesperson added. "Like others in the past, he is trying to intimidate people who speak up for peace and justice, and we won't be intimidated."

Here's a look at CodePink's history and actions.

What is CodePink?

Zoom in: CodePink was founded in 2002 and opposed the Iraq War, per the group's website.

• The activist group calls itself a "feminist grassroots organization" that works to promote "peace" and "human rights." It seeks to end U.S. wars and militarism.
• The group wants increased funding to help with "healthcare, education, green jobs" and "life-affirming" programs — efforts, it says, "uplift human dignity instead of tear it down."

Flashback: In 2014, CodePink received the U.S. Peace Prize from the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation for its "inspirational anti-war leadership and creative grassroots activism."

What are CodePink's political stances?

CodePink opposes U.S. sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and Cuba, per its website.

• It also opposes torture, the Guantanamo Bay detention center, weaponized drones and the "prosecution of whistle-blowers," per the site.
• "We support Palestinian rights, diplomacy, and growing local peace economies," per the site.

What protests are organized by CodePink?

The group — organized by grassroots networks and online supporters — says it protests through street theater, visuals and by "directly challenging powerful decision-makers in government and corporations" — as seen with the Trump dinner incident.

• The group wears pink to its protests.
• Some events have hundreds of volunteers, the group said.

Has CodePink confronted politicians before?

The group has protested throughout the Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, dating back to the Iraq War.

In 2015, members disrupted a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, calling for Henry Kissinger's arrest over war crimes.

• Late Sen. John McCain, then committee chair, called for the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police to escort them out of the building.
• "Get out of here, you low-life scum," he told them.

In 2017, a member was arrested for laughing during then-Arizona Sen. Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing for attorney general. The protester was charged with misdemeanors for disrupting Congress and unlawful demonstration on Capitol grounds.

• A judge reversed the conviction, triggering a retrial. The DOJ later dropped the case.

In 2023, members interrupted a conversation between former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, urging Julian Assange's release.

What has CodePink said about Trump?

The group held events during Trump's first inauguration, including "dancing, singing, hugging" in the streets.

• It also protested outside Trump's Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration Concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

CodePink took credit for interrupting Trump's dinner in D.C., saying its activists chanted: "They feast while Gaza starves." "Trump is the Hitler of our time." "Free D.C. Free Palestine!" and "Stop terrorizing communities all over the world! "

• "Trump looked us in the eyes, and we made sure he would never dine in peace while communities are under siege," said Olivia DiNucci, the group's DC organizer, in a post on CodePink's website.
• CodePink said its "message is clear: the administration is prioritizing war and the wealthy over the needs of the American people and human rights abroad."
• "We practiced nonviolent and non-threatening free speech," a spokesperson told Axios. "It is as simple as that. Anyone who values free speech should be appalled at this attempt to criminalize it."

What's next for Trump, CodePink and the DOJ

It's unclear whether the DOJ, which did not respond to a request for comment, will investigate CodePink.

But Blanche's tease of an investigation into protest groups comes as Kirk's killing fueled MAGA calls for prosecutions and firings of those who mocked or celebrated his death.

• Attorney General Pam Bondi faced backlash this week for suggesting DOJ would target "anyone with hate speech." She later walked back the comments.
• "Under President Trump, the Department of Justice will be unabashed in our efforts to root out credible, violent threats," she told Axios in a written statement. "We will investigate organizations that pursue illegal activities, engage in political violence, violate our civil rights, and commit tax or nonprofit fraud."

More from Axios:

• The people who have lost their jobs for posts about Charlie Kirk
• What's different about the Charlie Kirk firings
• Bondi clarifies: "Hate speech" won't be prosecuted

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from the White House.