The U.S. State Department under President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that it has revoked the visas of six foreign nationals for posting social media remarks related to the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the state department said in a statement shared on X. “The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
In a post on X, the platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, who has described himself as “a free speech absolutist,” the State Department shared a thread naming six “examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.”
The post featured screenshots and excerpts attributed to individuals said to be citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and South Africa.
READ: US revokes over 6,000 visas, majority being international students (
While the post did not disclose any names, the attached screenshots made it possible to identify two of the individuals. One of whom had already been targeted by conservative users on X.
“Charlie Kirk won’t be remembered as a hero,” one of the comments posted on X reads. “He was used to astroturf a movement of white nationalist trailer trash!”
The thread concluded with a message from the State Department saying that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws,” adding that “aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed.”
Last month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called on social media users to share with him any posts criticizing Kirk. He said he was “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.”
READ: Marco Rubio: Visa cancellations ‘under way’ for celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death (
The Trump administration has already expanded its efforts to track and remove foreign nationals it accuses of engaging in political unrest. Thousands of international students are reportedly under review for allegedly taking part in demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which have drawn widespread global criticism.
In addition, the government has tightened entry rules for visitors by requiring them to disclose their social media handles for screening before being granted a U.S. visa — a move, officials say, is about security but critics view it as a crackdown on free expression.
In the past few months, the Trump administration has taken several controversial actions against foreign figures. It expelled South Africa’s ambassador to Washington after he criticized Trump, blocked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from attending the UN General Assembly by revoking his visa, and canceled the travel visas of the British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
The government has also recently announced that it is reviewing the records of more than 55 million visa holders to check for any possible violations of U.S. entry rules or conduct standards.