People who celebrate the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk should be held accountable, US Vice-President JD Vance has said.
Call them out, and hell, call their employer, Vance said as he guest-hosted an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show. We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.
Pilots, medical professionals, teachers and one Secret Service employee are among those who have been suspended or sacked for social media posts that were deemed inappropriate about Kirk's death.
Critics have argued the firings threaten free speech and employee protections, although US companies have wide latitude to terminate employees. Vance's comments aired on Monday in an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, a daily podcast that Kirk hosted before he was shot in the neck last Wednesday while hosting a debate at Utah Valley University.
In the episode, the vice-president said that left-wing Americans are much likelier to defend and celebrate political violence, and added that there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.
A recent YouGov poll found liberal Americans were more likely than conservatives to defend feeling joy about the deaths of political opponents.
Vance's remarks come as other Republican US lawmakers echoed calls for those publicly celebrating Kirk's death to be punished. South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace urged the Department of Education to cut off every dime to any school or university that refuses to retaliate against employees making insensitive posts about Kirk.
Kirk, a devout Christian, professed viewpoints on gender, race and abortion that drew backlash from many liberals, especially on the campuses he toured. Among those who took to social media to gloat over his death or post comments that caused offence have been fired or placed on leave by employers.
In some cases, those who took to social media to gloat over his death or post comments that caused offence have been fired or placed on leave by employers. This includes Anthony Pough, a US Secret Service employee who wrote on Facebook about Kirk's negative impact, leading to the revocation of his security clearance.
The repercussions have reached beyond the US. In Canada, University of Toronto professor Ruth Marshall was placed on leave after appearing to write in a social media post that shooting is honestly too good for so many of you fascists.
Steven Collis, a law professor, argued that while free speech rights under the US Constitution apply to government actions, they do not protect individuals from private employers. The current political climate has seen a significant rise in retaliatory actions against those publicly expressing divergent views on sensitive topics.
Call them out, and hell, call their employer, Vance said as he guest-hosted an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show. We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.
Pilots, medical professionals, teachers and one Secret Service employee are among those who have been suspended or sacked for social media posts that were deemed inappropriate about Kirk's death.
Critics have argued the firings threaten free speech and employee protections, although US companies have wide latitude to terminate employees. Vance's comments aired on Monday in an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, a daily podcast that Kirk hosted before he was shot in the neck last Wednesday while hosting a debate at Utah Valley University.
In the episode, the vice-president said that left-wing Americans are much likelier to defend and celebrate political violence, and added that there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.
A recent YouGov poll found liberal Americans were more likely than conservatives to defend feeling joy about the deaths of political opponents.
Vance's remarks come as other Republican US lawmakers echoed calls for those publicly celebrating Kirk's death to be punished. South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace urged the Department of Education to cut off every dime to any school or university that refuses to retaliate against employees making insensitive posts about Kirk.
Kirk, a devout Christian, professed viewpoints on gender, race and abortion that drew backlash from many liberals, especially on the campuses he toured. Among those who took to social media to gloat over his death or post comments that caused offence have been fired or placed on leave by employers.
In some cases, those who took to social media to gloat over his death or post comments that caused offence have been fired or placed on leave by employers. This includes Anthony Pough, a US Secret Service employee who wrote on Facebook about Kirk's negative impact, leading to the revocation of his security clearance.
The repercussions have reached beyond the US. In Canada, University of Toronto professor Ruth Marshall was placed on leave after appearing to write in a social media post that shooting is honestly too good for so many of you fascists.
Steven Collis, a law professor, argued that while free speech rights under the US Constitution apply to government actions, they do not protect individuals from private employers. The current political climate has seen a significant rise in retaliatory actions against those publicly expressing divergent views on sensitive topics.
