AT A GLANCE
- Vice President JD Vance urged Americans to “call their employer” if they see people celebrating Kirk’s murder, saying it’s a fight against political violence.
- Punishments have followed nationwide: a Texas Tech student was expelled and arrested, a Washington Post columnist was fired, and professors and media figures have been suspended.
- Free speech groups including PEN America and the ACLU warn the wave of firings is fueling a “culture of fear” rather than protecting open debate.
A National Crackdown on Free Speech: JD Vance Instructs Americans to Tell on Bosses of People ‘Celebrating’ Murder of Charlie Kirk
On Monday, JD Vance used the closing minutes of The Charlie Kirk Show—which he guest-hosted on Rumble—to issue a stark warning: Americans should report anyone mocking Kirk’s death.
“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out. And hell, call their employer,” Vance said. “We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility. And there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.”
Vance pointed to polls showing that 26% of young liberals believe political violence is sometimes justified, compared with 7% of conservatives. He framed Kirk’s assassination, the 2017 shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, and attempts on Donald Trump’s life as proof of a left-wing problem.
“This is not a both-sides problem,” Vance said. “While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the left.”
Vance added that he and Trump aide Stephen Miller are already working to dismantle organizations they claim are promoting violence.
Washington Post Columnist Fired Over Posts
The crackdown has extended far beyond students. Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah said she was fired after 11 years at the paper over posts about political violence, race, and gun control in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.
In a Substack post, Attiah wrote that the Post accused her of “gross misconduct” and claimed her posts endangered colleagues. “They rushed to fire me without even a conversation,” she said, calling the move a violation of journalistic fairness.
Attiah argued she was the paper’s last full-time Black opinion columnist and denounced her firing as part of a “broader purge of Black voices” in U.S. institutions. She stressed her only direct reference to Kirk was quoting his own past remarks about Black women.
Her dismissal came amid broader editorial changes under opinion editor Adam O’Neal, who has pushed for columns defending “personal liberties and free markets.”
Texas Student Expelled After Viral Video
In the days following Kirk’s death, backlash hit Texas Tech University student Camryn Giselle Booker, 18, after a video of her mocking his killing went viral.
In the clip, she can be heard allegedly shouting: “F–k y’all homie dead, he got shot in the head,” at students holding a campus tribute.
Police later arrested Booker after she allegedly struck a man during a heated argument in the school’s free speech zone. She was charged with assault, though the man did not press charges. Texas Tech confirmed she is no longer enrolled.
Governor Greg Abbott amplified the moment online, posting an image of Booker in handcuffs with the caption: “This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech. FAFO.”
A Broader Pattern of Discipline
Across the country, institutions have disciplined employees for commentary about Kirk. Clemson University suspended a staff member for “inappropriate social media content,” while Florida Atlantic University placed an art history professor on leave after reposts about Kirk’s politics.
MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd was also dismissed for describing Kirk as “divisive” in the immediate aftermath of his killing, a comment some critics accused of justifying violence. Dowd later said his remarks were misconstrued.
Free Speech vs. Consequences
Civil liberties groups argue the firings reflect political intimidation more than policy. “Protecting free expression during times of crisis is not a luxury; it is a core responsibility,” said William Johnson of PEN America.
The ACLU’s South Carolina chapter described the wave of punishments as “a targeted campaign of harassment” meant to silence political opponents.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, defended its decision to expel Booker, saying: “Any behavior that denigrates victims of violence is reprehensible, has no place on our campus, and is not aligned with our values.”
Free speech may be protected under the First Amendment, but it is not protected from consequences in this current American society, classrooms, newsrooms, workplaces and even with your life.
