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.
Trump has continued to support Bondi, who also drew the wrath of MAGA supporters in July, when she released a memo saying there was “no credible evidence found” that late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed prominent people. It set off anger among Trump’s biggest supporters, whom he had promised full transparency on the issue for years.
Despite Bondi’s high-profile flubs, Trump has generally forgiven and continued to back her.
Asked Tuesday about Bondi’s hate speech remarks, he threatened a reporter.
“We will probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly, it’s hate,” Trump told a reporter from ABC News.
A White House official granted anonymity to speak freely told NBC News that Trump “fully supports Bondi and thinks that she’s doing a tremendous job.”
Still, cover from Trump and the White House has not stopped a wave of conservative critics from going after Bondi for her original comments, which generally run contrary to the philosophy of Kirk, who once said “hate speech does not legally exist in America.”
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly criticized Miller’s question about hate speech Tuesday on her podcast, saying it didn’t sound like “a question a conservative would ask.”
“And then for Pam Bondi to not say, ‘Whoa, whoa, sister, we on the right do not crack down on hate speech. We don’t believe in that nonsense’ ... was kind of extraordinary,” Kelly added.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh called on Bondi to be removed from office, arguing her entire position is now at odds with hard-fought free-speech gains made by the new political right in recent years.
“Get rid of her. Today,” he said Tuesday on X. “This is insane. Conservatives have fought for decades for the right to refuse service to anyone. We won that fight. Now Pam Bondi wants to roll it all back for no reason.”
While Bondi’s comments have been getting the most heat, Trump and other members of his administration have also promised to go after organizations and people who they believe celebrated Kirk’s death or who contribute to political violence.
“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out,” Vice President JD Vance said Monday. “And, hell, call their employer. We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility, and there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.”
In February, after a 25-year-old staff member for Elon musk’s Department of Government Efficiency resigned after The Wall Street Journal reported that he had made comments online supporting racism and eugenics, Vance advocated for rehiring him, saying it was too punitive for people to lose their jobs over social media posts.
Vance said he “obviously” disagreed with the posts but added, “I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life.”
“We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever,” he said.
Vance's office declined to comment.
Vance struck a more conciliatory tone Wednesday in Howell, Michigan, where he paid tribute to Kirk.
“I want to let you know that whether you’re a Democrat or Republican — whatever your belief is — I will fight for your right to speak your mind,” he said. “We reject political violence, and we reject the crazy left-wing radicals that gunned down our friend Charlie Kirk. Let’s talk to one another and not try to shoot each other down for disagreeing.”
