Bondi clarifies: "Hate speech" won't be prosecuted

Attorney General Pam Bondi tells Axios her office is not prosecuting or investigating anyone for alleged hate speech, only for speech that she says unlawfully incites violence.Why it matters: Bondi sought to clarify her comments during a Monday podcast in which she said the Justice Department would "absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."Her remarks drew criticism from across the political spectrum — including from some fellow MAGA Republicans, who as a group have historically been sensitive to curbs on free speech.But Bondi told Axios in a written statement that she was talking about criminal groups or people that incite violence, not those who said hateful things about the slaying last week of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a friend of Bondi's.What she's saying: "Freedom of speech is sacred in our country, and we will never impede upon that right," Bondi said in her statement."My intention was to speak about threats of violence that individuals incite against others," she added."Under President Trump, the Department of Justice will be unabashed in our efforts to root out credible, violent threats. We will investigate organizations that pursue illegal activities, engage in political violence, violate our civil rights, and commit tax or nonprofit fraud."Yes, but: In a Monday night interview with Fox, Bondi suggested DOJ might prosecute Office Depot workers in Michigan for unlawful discrimination because they refused to print posters for a Kirk memorial. A DOJ spokesperson said the Civil Rights Division is not proceeding with a case but noted the employee in question had been fired.Bondi's remark bothered legal experts and commentators, including one who called it "bake-the-cake authoritarianism" — a reference to a Supreme Court ruling that allowed a Colorado bakery to avoid designing a special cake for a gay wedding.The big picture: Kirk's slaying profoundly shook the Trump administration's senior officials and leaders of the MAGA movement more broadly.It has led to a fierce online campaign to find, denounce and fire those who have mocked or celebrated Kirk's assassination, or who have criticized him harshly in the wake of his death.Friction point: Bondi wasn't that clear at a crucial point of her Monday interview on "The Katie Miller Podcast," in which the attorney general indicated "hate speech" would be prosecuted without qualification.That snippet went viral hours later when it was posted by The Bulwark on X, prompting widespread condemnation.Zoom out: Bondi's office said her remarks should be viewed as a continuation of a discussion fewer than four minutes earlier in her podcast appearance, when she discussed investigating groups that promote violence.The FBI has said it's examining whether "leftist" groups were involved in Kirk's shooting.Hours before Miller's interview aired, her husband, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, discussed investigating such groups during another podcast: Kirk's show, which was guest-hosted by Vice President Vance.In the written statement to Axios, Bondi said: "We know these organizations exist, but for far too long, the Department of Justice has sat idly by as these groups incite and fund violence in our country. No more.""If you are using the assassination of Charlie to encourage more acts of imminent violence, you will be held accountable under my leadership at the DOJ," she said."If you want to be a hateful person and simply say hateful things that is your right to do so," Bondi added. "If you want to be a violent person, I will stop you."When a reporter asked President Trump about Bondi's clarification on Tuesday, Trump — who filed a defamation suit against the New York Times on Tuesday seeking $15 billion — sarcastically snapped: "We'll probably go after you because you treat me so unfairly. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they'll have to go after you."

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