The Trump administration is pulling an anti-extremism grant from a group that combats white supremacy


The Department of Homeland Security is jump-starting a $10 million Obama-era grant program aimed at "countering violent extremism," but it is withdrawing funding from a group that combats white supremacists, Politico Playbook reports.
When former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson announced the program just days before President Trump's inauguration in January, he explained that 31 anti-extremism groups would be getting funding and "among the awardees are organizations devoted specifically to countering [the Islamic State's] recruitment efforts in our homeland, and Life After Hate, an organization devoted to the rehabilitation of former neo-Nazis and other domestic extremists in this country." The Trump administration, though, will not be giving Life After Hate the $400,000 grant the group had been promised under the Obama administration.
Whatever the reason, it isn't for a lack of need. Life After Hate "has seen a twenty-fold increase in requests for help since Election Day 'from people looking to disengage or bystanders/family members looking for help from someone they know,'" the organization's founder, Christian Picciolini, told Politico. DHS did not comment to Politico when asked why Life After Hate's grant was rescinded.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In February, though, five people briefed on relevant conversations told Reuters that the administration wanted to rename the "Countering Violent Extremism" grants as "Countering Islamic Extremism" or "Countering Radical Islamic Extremism."
In June 2015, the nonpartisan New America Foundation think-tank concluded that "since 9/11, white right-wing terrorists have killed almost twice as many Americans in homegrown attacks than radical Islamists have," Time writes. The Intercept reported in May that the news of the Trump administration's intended swap of "violent extremism" for "Islamic extremism" specifically prompted the editor of the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer to gloat: "Donald Trump is setting us free."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Trump hawks Teslas, slashes more federal jobs
Speed Read The Education Department cut its workforce in half ahead of an expected Trump order to shutter the agency
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine agrees to ceasefire, ending US aid freeze
Speed Read Kyiv made peace with the Trump administration by agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in its war against Russian invaders
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
ICE arrests Palestinian advocate with green card
Speed Read Recent Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has had his visa revoked, despite his status as a permanent resident
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump doesn't rule out recession as tariffs bite
Speed Read In an interview for Fox News, Trump acknowledges the economic turbulence caused by his tariffs but claims his policies will be worth it in the long run
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mark Carney selected next Canadian prime minister
Speed Read The political novice will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump eases Mexico, Canada tariffs again as markets slide
speed read The president suspended some of the 25% tariffs he imposed on Mexican and Canadian imports
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not Musk
Speed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published