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Published On: Fri, Sep 19th, 2025

Trump: Charlie Kirk “Might Not Be Saying” There’s No Such Thing As Hate Speech “Now”

During an interview with FOX News host Martha MacCallum on Thursday night, President Trump dismissed concerns about freedom of speech in his crackdown on left-wing groups that appeared to support or celebrate the assassination of free speech advocate Charlie Kirk. “Charlie said that there was no such thing as hate speech,” MacCallum said to Trump. “He might not be saying that now,” the president interrupted. Do you have concerns that some people will look at this and say the crackdown is really a crackdown on free speech?” she asked. “It’s interesting,” Trump said, detailing the “lunatics” he sees on TV. “It is incitement to riot. That’s a criminal act, and people are dying because of it-so it’s a death.”

MARTHA MACCALLUM: Charlie said that there was no such thing as hate speech. Obviously, no one anticipated what happened to Charlie. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He might not be saying that now. MARTHA MACCALLUM: But he was always in favor of free speech. Do you have concerns that some people will look at this and say the crackdown is really a crackdown on free speech? DONALD TRUMP: It’s interesting. I watch your show and others, and I see people saying things that are crazy. These people are crazed lunatics-even the way they answer. You see them, and the things they say are really bad. They look crazy, almost crazed. Maybe they’re drugged out, maybe there’s some other problem. But the kinds of things you hear-you probably don’t put most of them on-the things you hear are so unbelievable you wouldn’t think a regular person would say them. Did you see the guy the other day run through all the flowers? This maniac runs through the flowers, kicking them down, stomping on them. Fortunately, someone grabbed him, but he looked like a normal guy. Who would do that? Who would do it? MARTHA MACCALLUM: You think that’s destroying property, so once you cross the line from just speaking… DONALD TRUMP: It’s the concept of doing it. Who would do this? MARTHA MACCALLUM: But you have the freedom in this country to burn a flag, but not to destroy property. That asks the question: where do you draw the line? DONALD TRUMP: You’d probably do better with that, because with free speech you’re able to do anything. But I saw this thing-I couldn’t believe it. I had to rewind it. I love the rewinding. Without it we couldn’t live. Sometimes you can’t believe it, but I watched this young guy running through and kicking everything around. MARTHA MACCALLUM: I saw it. He had a T-shirt on. DONALD TRUMP: They have signs, and they’re all professional. They’re all the same. MARTHA MACCALLUM: Who’s behind it? DONALD TRUMP: I don’t know. We’ll find out who’s behind it. But it is incitement to riot. That’s a criminal act, and people are dying because of it-so it’s a death.

Here’s the full interview:


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