Critics slammed President Donald Trump on Monday for saying he’s “not so sure” about a basic right guaranteed by the Constitution.
The moment came during an Oval Office appearance as the president spoke about last week’s public killing of conservative activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk.
Trump has blamed “the left” for the deadly shooting, threatened to prosecute left-wing protesters and said he had instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into using racketeering laws against leftist groups.
On Monday, he mentioned a decades-long peace vigil protest he had removed from near the White House earlier this month, bragging that “it was gone the next day” after he found out about it.
Trump also claimed the protester was part of a “violent radical left group.”
“They still have a First Amendment right, though, they’re still out there protesting,” the reporter pointed out.
“Yeah, well, I’m not so sure about that,” Trump said.
Bondi during a separate interview also indicated limits on First Amendment rights, saying law enforcement would go after “hate speech.”
“We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” she said.
“Pay attention,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote on X on Sunday. “Something dark might be coming. The murder of Charlie Kirk could have united Americans to confront political violence. Instead, Trump and his anti-democratic radicals look to be readying a campaign to destroy dissent.”
Murphy also posted examples on social media.
Trump’s critics warned that Monday’s comments are another warning sign that the administration is gearing up to go after all dissent by calling it “hate speech.”
“Trump is weaponizing the federal government to silence free expression,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wrote on X. “Even calls for peace. It’s dangerous, and it must be called out.”
Others also fired back on social media: