Overview

• President Trump said from the Oval Office that he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into bringing criminal RICO cases against protesters who heckled him at Joe’s Seafood in Washington.
• Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the prospect of RICO-style investigations on CNN, saying the focus would be on “organized efforts” that inflict harm rather than peaceful dissent.
• Video obtained by CNN shows a small group inside the restaurant chanting “Free DC, free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time” before they were removed by staff and security.
• Bondi initially vowed to target “hate speech” but later clarified that only threats of violence fall outside First Amendment protections.
• Legal commentators and critics argue RICO is ill-suited to isolated protest activity that lacks predicate crimes or a pattern, and as of now no federal indictments or investigations tied to the incident have been announced.