Hate‑Speech Exception Goes Official

A sitting attorney general publicly claimed a 'hate speech' exception to the First Amendment and threatened enforcement, then suggested using the civil rights division against businesses that won’t print political‑event signs. This signals an attempt to recast tragedy‑driven outrage into a government speech code and compelled‑speech regime. Even partial walk‑backs leave a chilling signal about enforcement priorities. — If executive officials normalize a non‑existent hate‑speech exception and compelled speech, it reshapes U.S. free‑speech doctrine in practice and invites wider, partisan use of civil‑rights tools against political dissent.