Trump Unloads on ABC Reporter Over Hate Speech Question

President Donald Trump did not hold back Tuesday when ABC’s Jonathan Karl tried to corner him on Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent remarks about targeting “hate speech” in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

When Karl suggested that Bondi’s comments might infringe on free speech, Trump flipped the script and tore into the mainstream media’s double standard.

“She’ll probably go after people like you,” Trump fired back, pointing at Karl. “You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they will come after ABC.”

Then he dropped the bombshell: “ABC paid me $16 million recently for a form of hate speech.”

The president was referring to a recent legal victory against the network after ABC’s George Stephanopoulos falsely claimed Trump had been found liable for “rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil case when in fact, the jury found him liable for defamation and sexual abuse, not rape. That false narrative cost ABC $15 million in damages and another $1 million in legal fees, which went directly toward Trump’s legal fund and future presidential library.

The fireworks between Trump and Karl came just after Bondi clarified her controversial remarks on prosecuting "hate speech." The attorney general had sparked debate when she said during a podcast interview that “there is no place...for hate speech” and that her office would “target” those using it especially after Kirk’s shocking assassination.

Critics, including some conservatives, raised the alarm over First Amendment concerns, pointing out that "hate speech" is not a legally recognized category in U.S. law. Kirk himself had previously stated that “hate speech does not exist legally in America.”

Bondi later clarified on X:

“Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime.”

She pointed to a growing tolerance for left-wing political threats and open calls for violence from radical activists and influencers:

• Leftist agitators regularly post about “punching Nazis” (a term often used to label mainstream conservatives).

• Pro-Hamas mobs continue to chant “death to America” and “from the river to the sea” with no consequences.

• High-profile Democrats like Maxine Waters and Rashida Tlaib have made incendiary public remarks without facing any legal scrutiny.

Meanwhile, conservatives are routinely censored, demonetized, or canceled for sharing traditional American views on immigration, gender, and faith.

Trump’s response was vintage Trump turning a loaded question on its head and exposing media hypocrisy. While the press continues to nitpick every word from his administration, they ignore their own role in spreading actual misinformation.

The question remains: if “hate speech” suddenly becomes prosecutable, who decides what qualifies? And how long before it’s used to silence dissent just like it is in Canada, the EU, or under Biden’s disinformation task forces?

With Bondi promising to draw the line at violent threats, and Trump reminding America what real defamation looks like, this administration is making it clear: free speech is still protected but inciting political violence is not.

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