ICYMI: Bipartisan Backlash to Bondi’s Proposed Speech Crackdown
Attorney General Pam Bondi has done the impossible: unify influential voices from across the political spectrum in opposition to her thinly-veiled attempts to criminalize political opposition by expanding definitions of prosecutable speech.
Following suggestions from Attorney General Pam Bondi that "hate speech" could face prosecution, prominent conservatives and civil liberties advocates warn that such efforts represent a dangerous precedent for silencing dissent.
The backlash reveals deep concerns that the administration may be using recent political violence as a pretext to target nonprofits, activists, and political opponents through an unprecedented expansion of what constitutes criminal speech. Critics note that throughout American history, vague concepts like "hate speech" have been weaponized by those in power to suppress inconvenient voices and unpopular movements.
Even stalwart Trump allies are drawing a line. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, appointed by Trump himself, publicly affirmed that "our First Amendment, our free speech tradition, protects almost all speech." Senator Ted Cruz was equally emphatic: "The First Amendment absolutely protects speech. It absolutely protects hate speech... What does that mean? It means you cannot be prosecuted for speech, even if it is evil and bigoted and wrong."
Key Quotes:
Republican Senator Ted Cruz: “The First Amendment absolutely protects speech. It absolutely protects hate speech. It protects vile speech. It protects horrible speech. What does that mean? It means you cannot be prosecuted for speech, even if it is evil and bigoted and wrong.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr: “I think you can draw a pretty clear line, and the Supreme Court has done this for decades, that our First Amendment, our free speech tradition, protects almost all speech.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
Politico HEADLINE: “Carr Splits From The GOP’s Social Media Crackdown After Kirk Killing.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
Conservative Commentator Glenn Beck: “There is no such thing as ‘hate speech.’ There is speech that leads directly to violence and that has to be stopped. But punishing ‘hate speech’ is how you end up like England.” [X, Glenn Beck, 9/16/25]
Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume: “Someone needs to explain to Ms. Bondi that so-called ‘hate speech,’ repulsive though it may be, is protected by the First Amendment. She should know this.” [X, Brit Hume, 9/15/25]
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie: “‘Hate speech’ is a term used by those in power to describe thoughts they don’t want spoken. It’s antithetical to the First Amendment.” [X, Rep. Thomas Massie, 9/16/25]
Former Republican Congressman Justin Amash: “No matter how distasteful or abhorrent anyone finds it, ‘hate speech’ is free speech, protected against government censorship and punishment.” [X, Justin Amash, 9/16/25]
Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger: “The First Amendment was never written to shield polite talk. It exists to protect the words we despise—because silencing them only breeds more danger.” [X, Adam Kinzinger, 9/16/25]
Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh: “She’s the top law enforcement officer [AG Pam Bondi] in the country. And she doesn’t know that hate speech is protected speech.” [X, Joe Walsh, 9/15/25]
Conservative Radio Host Erik Erickson: “In the last 24 hours, the Attorney General of the United States declared hate speech is prosecutable and the DOJ will target small businesses that do not want to work with individuals whose views they dislike. She must think she is the Attorney General of the United Kingdom.” [X, Erik Erickson, 9/16/25]
Conservative Commentator Matt Walsh: “There should be social consequences for people who openly celebrate the murder of an innocent man. But there obviously shouldn’t be any legal repercussions for ‘hate speech,’ which is not even a valid or coherent concept. There is no law against saying hateful things, and there shouldn’t be.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
Libertarian Party: “This is a completely disqualifying understanding of basic speech freedoms and yet another great example of exactly why the concept of ‘hate speech’ is a political tool designed for abuse.” [X, Libertarian Party, 9/16/25]
Piers Morgan: “Ironically, Charlie Kirk would hate this ridiculous statement. He believed in the complete opposite: that free speech means tolerance of all speech, including hateful speech, unless it’s a direct threat or incitement to violence. That’s the whole point of the First Amendment!” [X, Piers Morgan, 9/16/25]
Editor of National Review Philip Klein: “This is egregiously wrong. The First Amendment exists precisely to protect speech some people may find offensive.” [X, Philip Klein, 9/15/25]
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor: “Every time I listen to a lawyer-trained representative saying we should criminalize free speech in some way, I think to myself, that law school failed.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
Governor Josh Shapiro: “We must reject the rhetoric of vengeance, and instead focus on the work of healing. Censorship – using the long arm of government to silence people, businesses, and nonprofits and restrict their right to free speech – will not solve this problem.” [X, Governor Josh Shapiro, 9/16/25]
Former FBI Special Agent Asha Rangappa: “If Trump and Stephen Miller turn the FBI loose on the liberal left, it will require violating a whole lot of rules and norms that have been put in place to prevent a return of FBI to its dark Hoover days.” [X, Greg Sargent, 9/16/25]
Charlie Kirk (2024): “Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free.” [X, Charlie Kirk, 5/02/24]
