Could you give an example of what he could have said to express the same idea at this time _without_ offending people?

When he's censured like that outside the legal system, his rights are being challenged-- e.g. "He shouldn't have said that" is an expression of disapproval that to me suggests "People shouldn't be allowed to say that". It's pathetic to me that some people seem to think that free speech should only apply to people with whom they agree.