WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions pushed the Justice Department into a roiling culture war on Tuesday with a fierce defense of free speech on college campuses — even as he sided with President Donald Trump in condemning NFL players who protest during the national anthem.
Sessions thus put the administration on both sides of a bitter public debate about where and when it is appropriate for Americans to express their political views.
On universities, some conservative speakers have faced crowds of angry protesters, causing violence and property damage on some campuses. In several NFL stadiums, football players have knelt to protest police killings in black communities, using their prominence as pro athletes to register silent dissent.