The debate over hate speech vs. free speech is raging right now. One thing that shouldn’t be debated is whether or not a news reporter is allowed to ask a question of the sitting president without being threatened with an investigation by the attorney general.
“Shouldn’t” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that previous sentence, as the clip below shows.
JON KARL: What do you make of Pam Bondi saying she’s gonna go after hate speech? A lot of your allies say hate speech is free speech
TRUMP: We’ll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. You have a lot of hate in your hate. Maybe they’ll have to go… pic.twitter.com/i2KStu6Vsg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 16, 2025
The reporter is Jon Karl, of ABC News. It’s certainly not a pleasant question for Trump to face in front of reporters, but it’s also a fair one based on the context.
Yet rather than try to explain his and his party’s actions, Trump instead immediately erupts into a personal threat to investigate Karl because he has “hate in his heart.”
Trump is already known as an impulsive bully and outbursts like this aren’t going to help with that reputation. It also puts everything we hope still holds true about the freedom of the press. Hold on, folks. This is only going to get worse before it gets better.
1.
In any other timeline a President (or any politician) saying this would bring the country to it’s knees.
Trump can just do whatever he wants though I guess.
America is so beyond cooked.
— Bill the Beaver (@TrueNorthStr0ng) September 16, 2025
2.
— Heathmon ☯ (@heathmon) September 16, 2025
3.
Reporters need to flip the script and start suing the US government and Donald Trump personally for defamation.
— SunSmacked (@SmackedByTheSun) September 16, 2025
4.
personally threatening a reporter – plus suing NY Times
this isn’t just ‘not normal,’ it’s dangerous to a Free Society pic.twitter.com/rrV9ye9Ljm
— EJW (@TedWilcox7) September 16, 2025
5.
Well in his deflection from the question, he told us that the oath he took to The Constitution means nothing to him…
— blazedbum (@blazedbum_) September 16, 2025
6.
This is getting untenable now. It’s beyond a parody. We knew it would be bad but this is far far worse than expected
— Philip King (@frankfurtspurs) September 16, 2025
7.
This exchange is an infuriating display of hypocrisy! Trump’s dodge to attack a journalist instead of addressing Pam Bondi’s vague hate speech stance is a blatant attempt to weaponize the term for personal grudges. It’s outrageous that free speech, a principle his allies cling…
— SilenceBeDamned (@SilenceDamned) September 16, 2025
8.
Authoritarian presidents threatening reporters, just another day in trumpism!
— Agolf Twitler Slayer (@slayer_agolf) September 16, 2025
