“Kill Trump” “Death To Jews”: Is This Hate Speech
On July 13 2024 an assassin tried to kill President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania and nearly succeeded as the failed assassination attempt was shockingly just millimeters from certain death when the bullet hit President Trump’s ear which we all witnessed in the now iconic video. Since then, much has been said in the aftermath of this political violence from both the Liberal and Conservative media about why this happened, and if “hate words” said about Trump for years, could possibly have led to this event, as political parties offer their own talking points and give their own opinions. The various media have also had their own opinions about “hate words” being shouted and posted on signs during the Spring of 2024 with all the university campus protests. Now, wherever you are on the political map and whatever your political ideology, we can all agree that words have consequences. Vile words like “Kill Trump” or “Trump Is Hitler” and “Trump Is Racist.” Or words like “Death To Jews” or “Death To Israel” and “Death To America.” Seems anything goes these days where words are concerned as polarizing events continue to divide us. So what exactly is free speech and what exactly is hate speech. Yes we have our constitutional rights, however, where do we draw the line over free speech versus hate speech? Reporter David Nazar asks UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky this very question.