On Thursday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned that Washington might take action against foreigners who are “praising, rationalising, or making light” of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Landau said he had instructed consular officials to take appropriate action.
In a post on social media platform X, Landau stated, “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.” He added, “I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalising, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action.”
Landau did not specify what this action would entail. In response to his post, some users shared screenshots of accounts and posts, though it was not clear if the individuals were U.S. visa holders. The Deputy Secretary replied to some of these comments, indicating he would direct consular officials to monitor the comments on his post, which had over 2,000 replies by Thursday afternoon.
A State Department spokesperson, when asked about Landau’s post, said: “This Administration does not believe that the United States should grant visas to persons whose presence in our country does not align with U.S. national security interests.” However, the spokesperson did not address questions about whether any individuals had been identified for visa revocation or how consular officials would evaluate those flagged in response to the post.
Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old author, podcast host, and close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was instrumental in building Republican Party support among younger voters. He was fatally shot on Wednesday while giving a talk at a university in Utah, an act that President Trump called a “heinous assassination.” The Trump administration has pursued a sweeping crackdown on immigration, including increased social media vetting and the revocation of thousands of student visas.
