Trump clashes with hate speech and business media before traveling to the UK
President Donald Trump defended his business deal and assaulted reporters over hate speech before his visit to the UK.
WASHINGTON – Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said those who President Donald Trump’s loud protests could face criminal investigations if they are linked to an organisation seeking to “inflict, fear, or damage” on the president.
Blanche’s September 16 comments came after Trump called him “Hitler of our time” after he threatened criminal charges against a small group of protesters that Trump yelled at the president this week, and chanted “Free Palestine” while he was having dinner at Washington Steakhouse and seafood restaurants.
“Is it a pure coincidence that the president is enjoying dinner in Washington, D.C., and an individual appears at a restaurant trying to sue him with despicable words and sinful rage? And he is simply trying to have dinner,” Blanche said in an interview with CNN.
“Does that mean that they’re completely random when they showed up? Maybe, maybe, maybe. But as long as it’s part of an organized effort to inflict, fear and harm on the United States, there’s a potential investigation out there.”
Even before Blanche’s remarks, Democrats and First Amendment defenders had issued free speech warnings in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who vows to target left-leaning organisations that White House officials say the Trump administration has promoted violence.
Trump accused protesters of “professional agitators” of being paid in a statement from the oval office on September 15th. He said he told Attorney General Pam Bondi that he asked protesters to influence protesters and to file accusations of crimes under the Corrupt Organization Act.
“I asked Pam to look into it from Rico’s perspective and brought Rico’s case to criminal Rico against them, as they should be put in prison,” Trump said. “What they’re doing in this country is really destructive.”
Blanche defended Trump’s remarks in an interview and pushed him back when CNN anchor Caitlyn Collins asked if the woman screaming at the restaurant president was really “harm, terror, or damage.”
“As he is about to have dinner, four individuals are screaming and screaming and asking if they’re screaming,” Blanche said. “That’s not a serious question.”
“There’s nothing wrong with peaceful protests,” Blanche says.
Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal lawyer before joining the administration, said “There’s nothing wrong with peaceful protests.” However, he painted the distinction in a protest that turned into a violent conflict, singling out the clash between protesters and agents with immigrants and customs enforcement.
“What he’s talking about and what the administration is talking about is an organized effort by individuals who don’t exist in the protests, but they’re funding these protests,” Blanche said. “And they’re not protesting. They’re doing damage and harm, they’re actually attacking officers and hurting vehicles. That’s what we’re trying to stop.”
On September 15, Bondi set fire to pushbacks from both the left and right, vowing that the Department of Justice intends to target “people engaged in hate speech.”
“There’s freedom of speech, then hate speech,” Bondy appeared on the podcast of former White House aide Katy Miller.
Trump to reporters: “Maybe you should go after you.”
The next day, Bondy went back to those remarks. “Hate speech that crosses boundaries with the threat of violence is not protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime,” Bondy said in a statement. “For too long, we’ve seen the radical left normalize the threat, call assassinations, and cheer for political violence. That era is over.”
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three judges that make up the court’s liberal bloc, overwhelmed the debate over freedom of speech on September 16th.
When asked about Bondy’s comments on “hate speech,” Trump accused ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, a reporter who asked the question.
“We should probably chase people like you because you are unfairly treating me. That’s hatred. You have a lot of hatred in your heart,” Trump told Carl. “Maybe they’ll come after ABC.”
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
