A Trump administration effort to exclude violent white supremacists from a government anti-terrorism program and focus efforts solely on Islamist extremism drew a sharp backlash Thursday, with New York state's top prosecutor denouncing the move and civil liberties advocates suggesting it is illegal.
The proposed revamp, reported by Reuters on Wednesday, would rename the multiagency Countering Violent Extremism, or CVE, task force to Countering Islamic Extremism or Countering Radical Islamic Extremism and eliminate initiatives aimed at other violent hate groups in the United States.
"Abandoning efforts to counter violent white supremacist ideology is profoundly misguided and will endanger Americans," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement, adding that he urged President Donald Trump to keep the focus on "all extremist threats."