Following right-wing political activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination, social media platforms were engulfed with outrage. Some groups mourned his death and the end of his career, while others expressed sympathy despite disagreeing with his politics. However, individuals that ridiculed his death have received certain repercussions, particularly in regard to their careers.

According to the New York Times, in September 2025, more than 145 people across the country had either been fired, received calls to resign, or been suspended as a result of posts they made on social media celebrating Kirk’s assassination.

According to NPR, even more may be to come, with “some GOP lawmakers and officials” reporting their readiness to punish those involved. Specifically, conservative activists are collecting and highlighting the social media profiles that “celebrate” his death, calling for their termination. 

Kirk’s supporters, as well as right wing influencers and some elected officials, have been working to get people fired for their posts. Professionals from a diverse range of occupations including teachers, civil servants, doctors, and nurses are being affected, and that’s just what’s readily available to the public through news outlets.

The general public aren’t the only ones affected — late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel suffered harsh consequences as well. In a monologue, Kimmel stated that Trump and his team were “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” mentioning that they were trying to “score political points from it.”

The comedian implied that the Trump administration was trying to paint Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s assassin, as more than who he is — yet another young person who wrongfully had their hands on a firearm. Kimmel stated that the empathy Trump and his allies expressed toward Kirk’s death seemed somewhat performative, joking that Trump was grieving Kirk as a “4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

These comments received significant backlash on social media, specifically from conservatives and Kirk’s supporters. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to shut down the ABC network and affiliated stations if action wasn’t taken against Kimmel. 

The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” program suspension lasted for six days before Kimmel returned with an emotional monologue stating that he never intended to celebrate Kirk’s murder, but criticized the government’s act of censorship. 

The incidents — Jimmy Kimmel’s program suspension and many Americans losing their jobs — have sparked national debate regarding free speech. In these times, it’s important to remember what Charlie Kirk stood for. 

There’s a famous poem, “First They Came” by Pastor Martin Niemöller, originally published in relation to the holocaust, which said, ”First, they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist. … Then, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

Charlie Kirk stood for gun rights, no matter the cost, stating that it’s “worth it” for “some gun deaths every single year” to protect the Second Amendment right to bear arms — some gun deaths. The leading cause for death among children in America is firearm-related incidents. 

Charlie Kirk was aware of the thousands of deaths by firearms in America. He was aware of the countless school shootings, which saw innocent children shot while trying to get a proper education. Yet, he still stood by gun laws regardless. 

So, I leave you with a question: Would Charlie Kirk have cared if you died?