Obvious as it may sound, people with authoritarian beliefs hiding behind free speech actually consider it as a weakness akin empathy. It allows losers like them to amplify their reach despite not being in power. They abandon their “free speech absolutist” postures the moment they think they are in power.
I think they still fear being perceived as ridiculous, but they’ve been very successful at making the bar really fucking high.
I think they only fear looking weak.