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.
The attorney general sparked critiques over whether the Trump administration would uphold the First Amendment after a Monday podcast episode with host Katie 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 … We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” she told Miller.
Some on X called for Bondi to be removed from her role.
“Get rid of her. Today. This is insane,” Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh said. “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.”
“Can we make Stephen Miller Attorney General now?” said Joel Berry, managing editor of the conservative satire site Babylon Bee, referencing the White House deputy chief of staff.
Bondi once again referenced Kirk’s murder on Tuesday following public outcry over those openly celebrating the assassination. The U.S. Army has even suspended a reserve officer for cheering on his death, the Daily Caller News Foundation previously reported.
“It is clear this violent rhetoric is designed to silence others from voicing conservative ideals,” Bondi said. “We will never be silenced. Not for our families, not for our freedoms, and never for Charlie. His legacy will not be erased by fear or intimidation.”
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