The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) severed its long-standing relationship with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) following the ADL’s inclusion of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in its “Center on Extremism.” A former FBI Director criticized the previous policy of “love letters” to the ADL and embedding agents with the organization, calling it activism disguised as counterterrorism. He declared that the FBI would reject those policies and any partnership with the ADL. The former FBI Director had previously made public statements as far back as 2014, including a 2017 statement where he said the ADL was “not only educating” the FBI, but also working with the bureau to “build bridges in the communities [they] serve,” the outlet reported. (RELATED: Chris Cuomo Says Elon Musk Told Him To ‘Piss Off’ In Private Message — Then Blocked Him)
The ADL’s classification of Charlie Kirk’s conservative movement, TPUSA, as an “extremist group” prompted the FBI’s decision. The ADL stated that TPUSA has links to “a range of right-wing extremists and has generated support from anti-Muslim bigots, alt-lite activists and some corners of the white supremacist alt-right.” A deleted X post from the ADL in 2019 stated TPUSA “is a right-wing student group whose leaders & activists have made multiple racist or bigoted comments & have been linked to a variety of extremists.”
The ADL, a century-old organization, states its mission is to combat “antisemitism, extremism, hate and bigotry, discrimination and injustice” through advocacy, education, and legal action, according to its website. The ADL had a “Glossary of Extremism” on its website, which categorized and defined different groups involved in what the ADL deemed extremist. Screenshots showed TPUSA listed under the ADL’s “Center on Extremism.”
The ADL officially announced the termination of its glossary, saying it would be retired immediately. The ADL stated that an increasing number of entries in the glossary were outdated, and some entries were intentionally misrepresented and misused. The ADL expressed its respect for the FBI and law enforcement officers and stated they remained committed to protecting Jewish people.