Story highlights The Countering Violent Extremism program connects law enforcement officials with Muslim-American groups

A source said Trump's administration wants to build a new approach focusing on "radical Islamic extremism."

Washington (CNN) The Trump administration is working to scrap a program to fight extremism in favor of one focusing on extremism among Muslims, a source familiar with deliberations in the White House said Wednesday.

The Countering Violent Extremism program connects law enforcement officials with Muslim-American groups and was launched by President Barack Obama's administration.

The source said President Donald Trump's administration wanted to do away with the program and build a new approach focusing on what the administration dubbed "radical Islamic extremism."

Officials in the new administration see the refusal to focus the program on radical Islamic extremism as needlessly "politically correct," the source said.

The move could face resistance from law enforcement and national security circles. Officials in both areas have consistently said they need the cooperation of Muslim communities to tackle potentially violent persons from those communities.

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