The United States has warned that foreigners who celebrate or make light of the assassination of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, may face visa revocation, as officials identified social media account holders in Germany, Brazil, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and parts of Latin America for scrutiny.
The warnings followed the killing of Kirk, a 31-year-old author, podcaster, and co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot dead on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.
In a statement on his X on Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, said he had directed consular officials to monitor online commentaries and take appropriate measures against individuals “praising, rationalising, or making light” of the assassination.
He wrote, “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.
“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. Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the @StateDept can protect the American people.”
While Landau did not elaborate on the visa revocation process, he responded to some online posts by pledging to review cases flagged by members of the public.
He also posted an image parodying the Batman signal, replacing the bat with the eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, captioned “El Quitavisas,” which Grok, an artificial intelligence app, explained is a Spanish phrase to mean “The Visa Remover.”
The US authorities said they have arrested suspected killer of Kirk after an extensive manhunt.
The suspect was identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of southern Utah.
According to international media organisations, law enforcement sources say Robinson apparently confessed to his father before being turned in to authorities.
“Somebody very close to him turned him in. The person was involved with law enforcement, but was a person of faith, a minister, and brought him to a U.S. Marshal who was fantastic. They drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now. We have the person that we think is the person we’re looking for,” Reuter quoted Trump as saying.
The killing has drawn condemnation across the political spectrum and renewed debate about political rhetoric, online moderation, and the consequences for foreigners who appear to celebrate such acts.
Among those flagged by social media users were German commentator, Sebastian Hotz, Brazilian broadcasters, a South African journalist working in Washington, and the incoming president of the Oxford Union, George Abaraonye, accused of mocking Kirk’s death in private group chats.
Some users also pointed to messages from Latin American commentators, ranging from ridicule to direct praise of the gunman.
Hotz, also known as “El Hotzo” and employed by state broadcasters, was cited by X user Siegfried Daebritz for making “nasty jokes” about Kirk’s death.
Daebritz claimed Hotz had previously cheered an assassination attempt on Trump but was acquitted in court, suggesting he should face a lifetime ban from entering the United States.
In Brazil, Twitter user, Paulo de Tarso, highlighted reports that Globo Communications Group described Kirk as an “extremist,” accusing the broadcaster of promoting hatred against conservatives.
Another Brazilian account was reported to have suggested that President Trump and other Republican figures could be future targets, with the poster claiming he would “sleep better” after Kirk’s assassination.
In the United Kingdom, Chloe Dobbs flagged Abaraonye for allegedly celebrating Kirk’s death in Instagram posts and a committee WhatsApp chat.
Dobbs questioned whether prominent American figures such as Jordan Peterson should reconsider speaking at the Oxford Union, where Kirk had delivered a talk in May.
In the United States, users reported Redi Tlhabi, a South African journalist working in Washington, D.C., as celebrating Kirk’s death.
According to tweets flagged by @Jonathan_Witt, Tlhabi opposed Trump, allegedly sided with groups hostile to the US, and posted messages describing gun-related deaths as “a small price to pay.”
Following Landau’s post, Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, also issued a warning on X, saying the Department of the Navy would take action against uniformed or civilian employees found to have disgraced the service by expressing contempt for Kirk’s assassination.
“I am aware of posts displaying contempt toward a fellow American who was assassinated. I want to be very clear: any uniformed or civilian employee of the Department of the Navy who acts in a manner that brings discredit upon the Department, the @USNavy or the @USMC will be dealt with swiftly and decisively,” Phelan wrote.
Responses to Phelan’s post reflected both support and criticism.
Some argued that service members must be held to higher standards because they represent the nation in uniform, while others countered that restrictions should not apply when commenting on private citizens.
Taylor (@TaylorIndiana) wrote that there were no Department of Defence regulations barring service members from criticising private individuals on social media.
Gelson Luz (@gelsonluz) backed the Navy’s stance, saying those in uniform “represent something bigger than yourself” and should be held accountable.
