NextFin news, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi sparked bipartisan backlash on Tuesday in Washington after declaring that the U.S. Justice Department would "absolutely target" anyone who engages in hate speech. Bondi made the remarks during a podcast interview with Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Bondi said, "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." She added that the Justice Department would pursue those who use hate speech "across the aisle."
The comments came in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which Bondi attributed to "left-wing radicals," stating they "will be held accountable."
Bondi's remarks quickly drew criticism on social media and from conservative commentators who cited the First Amendment's protection of free speech, including speech that may be considered hateful. Conservative commentator Brit Hume wrote on X that Bondi should be reminded that "so-called 'hate speech,' repulsive though it may be, is protected by the First Amendment."
In response to the backlash, Bondi issued a statement on her X account Tuesday morning clarifying that "hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It's a crime." She accused the "radical left" of normalizing threats and political violence and vowed that era is over.
Bondi listed several criminal statutes historically used by the Justice Department to prosecute threats of violence, emphasizing that calls for murder, swatting members of Congress, or doxxing conservative families are punishable crimes that will be met with full legal force.
She further stated, "Free speech protects ideas, debate, even dissent but it does NOT and will NEVER protect violence. It is clear this violent rhetoric is designed to silence others from voicing conservative ideals."
In a separate interview on Fox News' "Hannity" on Monday evening, Bondi suggested she directed the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to prosecute businesses refusing to print Kirk's pictures for vigils, though the relevant criminal statute was not specified.
Bondi's comments align with statements from President Donald Trump and other senior White House officials who have vowed to use the Justice Department to target left-wing groups following Kirk's assassination.
However, during Trump's first administration, Justice Department officials resisted efforts to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, citing First Amendment protections for speech and assembly unless groups engage solely in unprotected violent crimes.
Mary McCord, former head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, testified in 2020 that designating U.S.-based organizations as terrorist groups would likely violate the First Amendment unless they engage exclusively in criminal violence.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between efforts to address violent threats and uphold constitutional free speech rights.
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