Why not? Mere thoughts and words against other groups of people are, under the “hate crime” and “hate speech” umbrella.
Actually the article is referring to the FBI stats, which analyzing the motivation of actual perpetrators of crimes, about 75% of them things like murder, simple and aggravated assault, and vandalism, arson and similar property crimes. Not reclassification of speech. About a quarter relate to intimidation, in a criminal not civil sense, which, as a crime requires threats to person or property.