Senior State Department officials are issuing dire warnings to those who dare to mock or celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death on social media.
The Trump administration has escalated its response to the assassination of the conservative commentator.
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session.
The killing has sent shockwaves through the political establishment, with both Republican and Democratic leaders condemning the violence.
Kirk was a prominent figure in the MAGA movement, known for his provocative rhetoric and his organization’s controversial watchlist of supposedly ‘radical’ professors.
He frequently championed Trump’s anti-immigration agenda and promoted the ‘Great Replacement’ theory, claiming that global elites were plotting to replace white Christian populations with nonwhite immigrants.
President Trump was quick to blame the ‘radical left’ for Kirk’s death, even before any arrests were made or the shooter’s identity was confirmed, Newsweek reports.
In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump declared his administration would ‘find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence.’
On Friday, police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in connection with the shooting, though details about his identity and motives remain unclear.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau delivered a chilling message on Thursday morning via X, directing his threat specifically at ‘foreigners’ who might dare to comment on Kirk’s death in ways the administration deems inappropriate, per The Hill.
“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Landau wrote in his post, which remains pinned to his profile.
Landau went further, announcing he had ‘directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action’ against those ‘praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event.’
Most ominously, he invited the public to report such individuals directly to him for State Department review.
This warning represents a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on dissenting voices, particularly targeting foreign nationals.
The administration has already revoked more than 6,000 student visas since Trump’s return to office, with many targeting international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, per The Guardian.
The State Department has dramatically expanded its social media vetting processes, scrutinizing visa applicants for ‘antisemitic activity’ – widely understood as criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza – as well as ‘anti-American activity.’
Immigration officials now routinely examine applicants’ online presence for ‘indications of hostility towards citizens, culture, or the founding principles of the United States.’
Republican Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana amplified the threats, Truth Out reports, posting that he would use: “Congressional authority and every influence with big tech platforms to mandate immediate ban for life of every post or commenter that belittled the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
He called for revoking drivers licenses and business permits of those who celebrated Kirk’s death.
The administration’s response has highlighted deep divisions in American society.
While many have expressed genuine sympathy for Kirk’s family and condemned political violence, others have pointed to Kirk’s own history of inflammatory rhetoric targeting Muslims, women, LGBTQ+ communities, and people of color.
MSNBC fired senior political analyst Matthew Dowd after he suggested on air that Kirk’s own radical rhetoric may have contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death.
Trump confirmed on Sunday that his administration is actively ‘looking at names’ of foreigners who celebrated Kirk’s death, raising the specter of widespread visa revocations.
“We don’t like that. That’s not right,” Trump said when asked about potential consequences. “These are sick people. These are really deranged people.”
