Attorney General Pam Bondi faced bipartisan criticism Tuesday for stating that the Justice Department “will absolutely target” anyone who uses “hate speech” against others in the aftermath of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Bondi made the remarks during a podcast interview with Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
“There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society,” Bondi told the crowd.
“Do you see more law enforcement going after these groups who are using hate speech and putting cuffs on people so we show them some action is better than no action?” Miller asked in response.
“We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech — and that’s across the aisle,” Bondi said in response.
Bondi’s comments quickly spread on social media, prompting some users to respond with a 2024 post from Charlie Kirk, in which he wrote: “Hate speech does not exist legally in America.” There is offensive language. There’s foul language. There is evil speech. All of this is protected by the First Amendment. “Keep America free.”
“Someone should explain to Ms. Bondi that so-called ‘hate speech,’ however repulsive it may be, is protected by the First Amendment. Brit Hume, a conservative commentator, wrote on X: “She should know this.”
Bondi issued a defiant statement from her X account on Tuesday morning in response to the growing backlash.
“Hate speech that threatens violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. Bondi wrote, “It is a crime.” “For far too long, we have seen the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and encourage political violence. “That era is over.”
Bondi listed several criminal statutes that the Justice Department has historically used to prosecute threats of violence.
“You cannot call for a murder. You cannot swat a member of Congress. You cannot dox a conservative family and expect it to be dismissed as ‘free speech.’ These are punishable offenses, and any threat will be met with the full force of the law,” Bondi wrote.
“Free speech safeguards ideas, debate, and even dissent, but it does not and will never protect violence. “It is clear that this violent rhetoric is intended to silence others who express conservative ideals,” she posted.
In a separate interview with Fox News’ “Hannity” on Monday evening, Bondi hinted that she has directed the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to “prosecute” businesses that refuse to print Kirk’s photos for vigils. It is unclear what criminal statute would be applicable in that situation.
Bondi’s remarks come as President Donald Trump and other senior White House officials have repeatedly stated that in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, they intend to use the Justice Department to specifically target left-wing groups.
During Trump’s first administration, Justice Department officials repeatedly resisted Trump and the White House’s attempts to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, describing the move as “highly problematic” and likely to violate the First Amendment.
According to Mary McCord, former head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, designating a U.S.-based organization as a terrorist organization would likely violate the First Amendment, which protects the rights of Americans who engage in “hateful speech” and “assembling with others who share the same hateful views.”
