The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners who have been accused of mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The State Department on Tuesday announced it has examined online social media posts and videos related to Kirk following his death at a Utah college campus on September 10.
In light of the disturbing content they found, officials recommended six foreign nationals should lose their visas.
Among those spotlighted was an Argentine who stated Kirk ‘devoted his entire life to spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric’ and deserves to burn in hell, as well as a South African who commented that those mourning Kirk were ‘hurt that the racist rally ended in attempted martyrdom.’
A Mexican national, who also had his visa revoked, remarked that Kirk ‘died being a racist, he died being a misogynist… there are people who deserve to die.’
A Brazilian national said Kirk ‘died too late’ and blamed the conservative activist for ‘a Nazi rally where they marched in homage to him.’
The last two international critics were a German national and a Paraguayan national. The former noted ‘when fascists die, democrats don’t complain’ and the latter described Kirk as a ‘son of a b**** [who] died by his own rules.’
The revelation came after Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Trump administration has has revoked the visas of six foreigners who have been accused of mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk
The State Department shared several posts made by the foreign nationals who have now had their visas revoked
Kirk’s widow Erika fought back tears as she thanked Trump for giving him the ‘best birthday gift ever.’
The president, who returned from an intense Middle East peace mission late last night, remarked: ‘I raced back halfway around the globe. I was going to call Erika and ask, ‘Could you maybe move it to Friday?’ but I didn’t have the courage to call.’
‘But you know why I didn’t call? Because I heard today was Charlie’s birthday.’
Kirk’s parents were also in attendance for the ceremony despite remaining out of the public spotlight after their son’s death.
At Kirk’s funeral in September, Trump called him a ‘great American hero’ and ‘martyr’ for freedom.
The administration and its backers have targeted individuals for their remarks about Kirk, resulting in the dismissal or discipline of journalists, educators, and others, thereby sparking free speech concerns.
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‘will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws,’ the State Department said.
The State Department shared several posts made by the foreign nationals who have now had their visas revoked
US President Donald Trump and Erika Kirk (L), Charlie Kirk’s widow, participate in a Medal of Freedom Ceremony for late US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in the Rose Garden
Kirk was assassinated as he debated students at Utah Valley University on September 10
‘Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed.’
The move has sparked fury and condemnation from freedom of speech advocates.
Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) told Daily Mail: ‘You can’t defend “our culture” by eroding the very cornerstone of what America stands for: freedom of speech and thought.
‘The Trump administration must stop punishing people for their opinions alone. The Supreme Court has been clear that noncitizens have a right to freedom of speech.
‘In America, no one should fear a midnight knock at the door because of their political views.’
FIRE is suing the administration to challenge the provisions that Rubio is using to deport individuals for their speech.
Meanwhile Vice President JD Vance and other top US officials have encouraged people to call out offensive language about Kirk that they see online.
In an unusual post to X last month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau asked social media users to copy him on any relevant posts, saying he was personally ‘disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action.’
Erika Kirk wipes her eyes as a military aide reads the citation before President Donald Trump posthumously awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Tyler Robinson is in custody accused of carrying out the fatal shooting
The administration has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the United States for comments critical of Trump, revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the U.N. General Assembly and yanked the visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said it is reviewing the status of the more than 55 million current U.S. visa holders for potential violations of its standards.
Those actions have been criticized by civil rights groups as violations of constitutional protections for freedom of speech, which apply to anyone in the United States and not just to American citizens.
