Following the fatal shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, US Republicans have a strong message for Americans: Mourn him respectfully or face severe consequences. Over the past several days, both Democratic and Republican leaders have widely condemned the murder of the 31-year-old activist, a prominent figure in Trump’s circle known for his hard-right views.
A number of commentators, including ordinary people, lawmakers, and pundits, have made jokes or celebrated Kirk’s death, often referencing his history of bigoted rhetoric. These individuals have since become targets of organized online campaigns. According to a Reuters tally, at least 15 people, including journalists, academic workers, and teachers, have been fired or suspended from their jobs after discussing the killing online. On Friday, a junior Nasdaq employee was fired over her posts related to Kirk.
The Rise of Online Retribution
Others have faced a wave of online abuse and had their workplaces flooded with calls demanding their dismissal, part of a surge of right-wing anger that has followed the murder. Some Republicans want to go even further, proposing to deport Kirk’s critics from the US, sue them into poverty, or permanently ban them from social media.
Conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a close ally of President Donald Trump, warned, “Prepare to have your whole future professional aspirations ruined if you are sick enough to celebrate his death.” She is one of several far-right figures organizing digital campaigns on X (formerly Twitter) to expose and publicly shame Kirk’s critics. US lawmaker Clay Higgins posted that anyone who “ran their mouth with their smartass hatred celebrating the heinous murder of that beautiful young man” should be “banned from ALL PLATFORMS FOREVER.” Similarly, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau expressed disgust at those “praising, rationalising, or making light of the event” and instructed consular officials to “undertake appropriate action.”
Double Standards and Hypocrisy
The Republican anger at those disrespecting Kirk’s legacy stands in stark contrast to the mockery some of the same figures—including Kirk himself—directed at past victims of political violence. For instance, after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was brutally attacked by a hammer-wielding conspiracy theorist, Higgins posted a photo mocking the assault, which he later deleted. Loomer falsely suggested that Paul Pelosi and his assailant were lovers, calling the attack a “booty call gone wrong.” Just days after the assault, a grinning Kirk said on television, “If some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area wants to really be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail this guy out.” Loomer and Higgins did not respond to requests for comment.
“Expose Charlie’s Murderers” Website and a Misguided Crusade
The campaign to fire Kirk’s critics shows no signs of slowing down. A newly registered website, “Expose Charlie’s Murderers,” lists 41 names of people it claims are “supporting political violence online” and states it has a backlog of over 20,000 submissions.
A Reuters review of the site’s content revealed that some of the individuals featured did joke about or celebrate Kirk’s death. One was quoted as saying, “He got what he deserved,” while others used variations of “karma’s a bitch.” However, other people on the list were simply critical of the far-right figure while explicitly condemning violence. Still others did little more than point out the irony of a long-time gun control opponent being shot to death. At least three people accurately quoted Kirk’s 2023 comments where he called some gun deaths “worth it,” describing the annual firearms-related killings in the US as “a prudent deal” in exchange for the Second Amendment.
One individual featured on the site said their employer was overwhelmed with phone calls from callers threatening not to stop until they were fired. The person, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid further harassment, told Reuters, “To be very, very clear, I don’t condone the murder of Charlie Kirk. But I do, at the same time, have to appreciate the irony of this situation,” referring to Kirk being shot in the neck after years of opposing gun control.
Reuters could not identify who is running the website. The site did not respond to questions about its ownership or methodology, or why quoting Kirk accurately was considered “supporting political violence.” The site’s host, Squarespace, also did not respond to messages. Jay Childers, an associate professor of communications at the University of Kansas, said that while there is a long history of officials trying to control rhetoric and suppress dissent, the internet makes far more people potential targets of these efforts.
