Pam Bondi Races To Clarify ‘Hate Speech’ Stance After Comments On Charlie Kirk’s Death

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will readily prosecute speech “that crosses the line into threats of violence,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Tuesday amid leftists celebrating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s murder.

Bondi laid out her view of the legal limits surrounding free speech in an X post, clarifying comments she made Monday that drew criticism from some right-leaning figures over her promise to target “hate speech.” The attorney general began speaking out against harmful speech after numerous employers in the U.S. fired workers for endorsing assassination in Utah on Sept. 10.

“Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is not protected by the First Amendment,” Bondi said. “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.”

Federal law prohibits communicating “any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another,” as well as threatening public officials, members of Congress, or their families, Bondi said. It is also illegal to “dox,” or publicize, someone’s personal information in a threatening way or “swat” someone’s home by making false law enforcement tips, Bondi said.

“These acts are punishable crimes, and every single threat will be met with the full force of the law,” Bondi said.