Attorney General Bondi Walks Back Hate Speech Comments

What Followed After Charlie Kirk’s Death

Attorney General Pam Bondi cleared things up today after getting some heat for her comments about hate speech. She’s making it crystal clear that the Department of Justice is all about protecting free speech while only going after actual threats of violence.

On September 15, while chatting on The Katie Miller Podcast, Bondi got folks riled up by talking about cracking down on hate speech after the tragic killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. She said, “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there’s no place for that, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society.” People weren’t thrilled about that.

Conservatives, liberals, and free speech folks all pushed back hard, saying her comments sounded like a threat to the First Amendment. Big names like Matt Walsh and Erick Erickson called it a bad move, and groups like the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression pointed out that hate speech isn’t a legal thing to prosecute in the U.S.

This morning, Bondi took to X and put out a DOJ statement to set things straight: “Hate speech that turns into threats of violence isn’t protected by the First Amendment. That’s a crime. We’ve seen too much of the radical left cheering on threats and violence, and that’s done.” She told Axios the DOJ isn’t chasing after hate speech in general, just stuff that breaks the law, like inciting violence, based on cases like Virginia v. Black from 2003.

An ACLU spokesperson chimed in, “This is a solid step to keep our freedoms intact. It’s great to see Bondi recognize that even offensive speech is protected, so no one’s views get silenced.”

This all comes after Charlie Kirk, a big voice for conservative values, was shot and killed on September 10 at a Turning Point USA event in Orem, Utah. He left behind a wife and two young kids, and it’s shaken a lot of people.

President Trump had Bondi’s back, saying, “Pam’s fighting for justice, and we’re about keeping Americans safe from real threats, not shutting down voices. The DOJ’s got this without stepping on our rights.”

The DOJ is still looking into Kirk’s death, with 22-year-old Tyler Robinson facing first-degree murder charges. Bondi made it clear that any speech cheering on or pushing for violence will face serious consequences, but only if it’s an actual threat.