President Donald Trump on Tuesday night accused the Biden administration of targeting slain conservative leader Charlie Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA, as part of a sweeping FBI investigation that he said was designed to silence political opponents.
The accusation came hours after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) revealed new files showing that Turning Point was among more than 90 Republican-affiliated groups investigated under “Arctic Frost,” a probe launched in 2022 by then-FBI Director Christopher Wray and later overseen by special counsel Jack Smith.
“Why was the wonderful Turning Point under INVESTIGATION by ‘Deranged’ Jack Smith and the Corrupt & Incompetent Biden Administration?” Trump posted on Truth Social. “They tried to force Charlie, and many other people and movements, out of business. They Weaponized the Justice Department against Sleepy Joe Biden’s Political Opponents, including ME!”
Trump also blasted what he called a “conflicted” judge presiding over one of his cases, accusing the court of gagging him. In contrast, the judge’s daughter raised millions for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley said Arctic Frost had little to do with election integrity and everything to do with politics.
“The Arctic Frost investigation was a vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus,” Grassley said, after leading the chamber in a brief prayer for Kirk.
According to documents Grassley released, the investigation subpoenaed records from the Republican National Committee, the Republican Attorneys General Association, Trump’s campaign entities, and Kirk’s Turning Point USA.
It remains unclear why Turning Point was included, though Kirk had amplified Trump’s claims that mail-in voting in 2020 was riddled with fraud. Smith ultimately dropped the cases after Trump’s re-election in 2024.
