AG Pam Bondi clarifies 'hate speech' comment after blowback

(The Hill) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday clarified remarks made on Katie Miller’s podcast where she suggested hate speech could be prosecuted under the law. 

“Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime,” Bondi wrote in a lengthy 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,” she continued, citing U.S. code.

The statement came after she fielded criticism over comments made to Miller earlier this week.

“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…,” Bondi said in an episode of "The Katie Miller Podcast" published Monday.

“We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” Bondi said. 

However, an American civil liberties group vehemently denied Bondi's claims.

"There is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment," the Foundation for Individual Rights (FIRE) wrote in a Monday post on X.

"The attorney general would be wise to read the words of the Supreme Court, which has repeatedly held that the 'proudest boast' of America's free speech tradition is 'freedom for the thought that we hate.'"

Bondi also received blowback from conservatives.

“Hate speech is not prosecutable in America (which is good). Pam Bondi knows this,” media personality Megyn Kelly wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

“I am guessing, given the statements by Stephen Miller yesterday about targeting violent cells, she means those who actually plan violence, which would not be about the speech but the conspiracy.”

Fellow critics chimed in, condemning Bondi for pledging to crack down on hate speech.

Fox News’ Britt Hume said, “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.”

“Our Attorney General is apparently a moron. ‘There’s free speech and then there is hate speech,’” Christian broadcaster Erick Erickson wrote in a Monday post. “No ma’am. That is not the law.”

Rod Dreher, a conservative Substack author, said Bondi should “retract or resign” in lieu of the statements made during Miller’s 6th podcast episode, while political commentator Mike Cernovich said the attorney general “isn’t ready for this moment.”

“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,” Bondi wrote on Tuesday, doubling down on her podcast statements. 

“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.”

Miller, the wife of Stephen Miller, who serves as White House deputy chief of staff, has welcomed a range of conservative voices and Trump administration officials to share ideals on the podcast that amassed thousands of viewers in its budding stage.

Bondi’s remarks on the show have drawn more eyes to the platform that’s been branded as an outlet for conservative women.