Donald Trump was asked by a reporter about his opinion on AG Pam Bondi suggesting that his administration may introduce some exceptions to freedom of speech. The president then went on to suggest that he might even start with the reporter asking him the question.
All kinds of speech are protected under the First Amendment, but there are a few caveats that include incitement of harm. Recently, however, Pam Bondi joined a Fox News show where she told Maria Bartiromo that the Trump administration is looking into criminalizing hate speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing. In the immediate aftermath, there were sections of the internet celebrating Kirk’s death or at the very least downplaying it. Most employers at the moment took it upon themselves to punish the people engaging in this unfortunate online trend.
Considering Kirk’s legacy — whether wittingly or unwittingly — has grown into respect for the First Amendment, Bondi’s statements were met with an immediate backlash. She later walked back her initial claims and clarified that the Department of Justice will focus on speech that incites violence rather than just speech they don’t like. Because regardless of how some are responding to Kirk’s tragic death, the Trump administration should be encouraging the two factions who disagree on the matter to meet up for a debate, as that was the original ideology being protected.
During an impromptu interview on the White House lawn by ABC’s Jon Karl, the president was asked about Bondi’s statements. And if Trump’s response to an Australian journalist who asked about his business dealings was any predictor, Trump was not particularly in the mood to answer difficult questions on this particular day. Karl asked, “What do you make of Pam Bondi saying she’s gonna go after hate speech? A lot of your allies say hate speech is free speech.”
Trump gave him a bizarre response, saying that he’ll probably go after people like Karl and referenced his multiple lawsuits against major media outlets. He already settled with CBS and ABC (which Karl works for) in previous instances for their coverage of him during the 2024 campaign. Trump is now looking at The New York Times for general defamation in his latest $15 billion lawsuit. So while criminalizing hate speech seems far-fetched for now, that’s not to say the Trump administration isn’t already taking steps to clamp down on people who criticize him.
When the interaction was posted on X, some people were completely taken aback. One user suggested that soon the U.S. will no longer be able to claim it’s a democracy. Another user added that Trump is simply trying his best to silence the press. One user said with finality that Trump is making it hard for Americans to unite.
The US is rapidly approaching the point where it will no longer be identified as a democracy.
— ϽΓΣⱤẛ∁ (@CholericCleric) September 16, 2025
Basically Trump wants to silence press and people for stuff he doesn’t like.
— Lucas Sanders(@LucasSa56947288) September 16, 2025
He’s making it very,very, difficult for us to ever be the “united” states again.
— jp (@ChefjparkJohn) September 16, 2025
Trump has been accused on multiple occasions of infringing on constitutional rights whenever it no longer suits him. And while organizations and institutions continue to challenge him, this goes beyond just Trump — it’s high time his own supporters recognize that, even as he campaigned against the so-called “canceling” effects of woke culture, he has since embraced and practiced the very same tactics he once condemned.
