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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Attorney General Pam Bondi defended her move to crack down on "hate speech" in the United States after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying threats of violence are federal crimes under the U.S. Constitution.
Bondi has faced a backlash over free speech concerns from MAGA voices online since vowing to take action, who see it as an attempt to stamp out protected speech under the First Amendment.
There has been a hunt for retribution in the aftermath of Kirk's killing, with conservatives highlighting individuals who have celebrated his death and alerting their employers. Others have surfaced examples of individuals making threats of political violence.
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Bondi: You Cannot Call for Someone's Murder
"Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It's a crime," Bondi said in a Tuesday morning post on X.
"For far too long, we've watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over."
Bondi pointed to the U.S. Constitution—specifically 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), 18 U.S.C. § 876, and 18 U.S.C. § 115—saying it directly outlaws threats of violence.
"You cannot call for someone's murder. You cannot swat a Member of Congress. You cannot dox a conservative family and think it will be brushed off as 'free speech,'" Bondi said.
"These acts are punishable crimes, and every single threat will be met with the full force of the law. 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. 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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Kirk had himself commented on the notion of "hate speech" in a May 2024 post on social media.
"Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech," Kirk wrote. "And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free."
MAGA Backlash
Savanah Hernandez, a contributor to Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization founded by Kirk, had hit back at Bondi's previous comments.
"'There's free speech and then there's hate speech' is the most destructive phrase that has ever been uttered," Hernandez said in a post on X. "And Pam Bondi just said it. She needs to be removed as attorney general now."
Conservative influencer Mike Cernovich said on X: "We don't need DOJ to prosecute 'hate speech.' Pam Bondi really isn't ready for this moment. Not to mention the Epstein files nonsense. We need CRIMINAL ACTS by ANTIFA prosecuted."
Actor Rob Schneider said on X that Bondi "is WRONG on this one."
"If FREE SPEECH means anything it's the freedom to say things that OTHER people may LOATHE! Outside of the incitement to violence, FREE SPEECH IS ALL SPEECH! You are either for ALL of it or NONE of it!" Schneider wrote.
Update 9/16/25, 9:08 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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