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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/attorney-general-pam-bondi-backlash-right-hate-speech-rcna231713
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Attorney General Pam Bondi has pushed the idea of cracking down on “hate speech,” an idea that puts her at odds with Kirk’s own political legacy and has her facing heat from some high-profile conservatives.
“There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said in an interview on “The Katie Miller Podcast” that aired Monday.
The death of Kirk, a giant in the conservative political space who co-founded Turning Point USA, has sparked an internal fight on the political right about the limits of free speech. Many of Kirk’s most fervent supporters, who also overwhelmingly back President Donald Trump, have said speech should not be limited, including some who have directly gone after Bondi.
Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson called the idea that “hate speech” is a crime a “lie.”
“Any attempt to impose hate speech laws in this country ... is a denial of the humanity of American citizens and cannot be allowed under any circumstances,” he added.
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson said that Bondi was a “moron” and that her comments didn’t reflect the law.
Bondi quickly backtracked, clarifying that the Justice Department would only go after speech that led to violence.
“Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment,” Bondi said Tuesday on X. “It’s a crime. For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over.”
The Justice Department responded to a request for comment by sending a series of X posts, including Bondi’s most recent one clarifying that the agency's focus is on hate speech that could cause violence.
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Attorney General Pam Bondi has pushed the idea of cracking down on “hate speech,” an idea that puts her at odds with Kirk’s own political legacy and has her facing heat from some high-profile conservatives.
“There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said in an interview on “The Katie Miller Podcast” that aired Monday.
The death of Kirk, a giant in the conservative political space who co-founded Turning Point USA, has sparked an internal fight on the political right about the limits of free speech. Many of Kirk’s most fervent supporters, who also overwhelmingly back President Donald Trump, have said speech should not be limited, including some who have directly gone after Bondi.
Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson called the idea that “hate speech” is a crime a “lie.”
“Any attempt to impose hate speech laws in this country ... is a denial of the humanity of American citizens and cannot be allowed under any circumstances,” he added.
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson said that Bondi was a “moron” and that her comments didn’t reflect the law.
Bondi quickly backtracked, clarifying that the Justice Department would only go after speech that led to violence.
“Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment,” Bondi said Tuesday on X. “It’s a crime. For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over.”
The Justice Department responded to a request for comment by sending a series of X posts, including Bondi’s most recent one clarifying that the agency's focus is on hate speech that could cause violence.
