Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has asserted that free speech — even if it’s “evil and bigoted and wrong” — is protected under the First Amendment of the constitution amid controversy over the assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk.
While speaking at Politico’s AI & Tech Summit in Washington on Tuesday, Cruz said that the First Amendment “absolutely protects hate speech” before declaring that the people who cheered for the death of Kirk are not “immune from the consequences.”
“The First Amendment absolutely protects speech. It absolutely protects hate speech,” Cruz said. “It protects vile speech. It protects horrible speech.”
Cruz continued, “What does that mean? It means you cannot be prosecuted for speech, even if it is evil and bigoted and wrong.”
Cruz went on to condemn the “people on the left” who have been celebrating Kirk’s death.
