American and United Airlines have joined Delta in suspending employees following social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s death, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly pushed for firings over the incident.
American And United Suspend Employees Over Charlie Kirk Posts; Sean Duffy Urges Consequences
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing on September 10, 2025, American Airlines said employees who “promoted such violence on social media were immediately removed from service.” United Airlines also confirmed suspensions and emphasized a “zero tolerance” policy for posts that celebrate or justify political violence.
The airlines have not disclosed how many employees are involved, nor all of the specific posts in question. The companies state the posts violated their social media and conduct policies, often saying the content went “beyond healthy, respectful debate.”
We’ve explored the nebulous nature of airline social media policies here. In short, if you’re an airline employee, it is very shrewd indeed to err on the side of caution, as anything you say can and will be used against you and your “free speech” rights do not extend to your private employer.
I do understand the disdain for Charlie Kirk’s positions, but the praise of political violence crosses the line. For example, United pilot Andrew Schweizer, pictured above, who has also posted pictures of himself in uniform, said:
I mean, kudos for having the guts not to backtrack on your hate, but that’s a really poorly-thought-out position. But hardly surprising…he was one of the COVID hysterics who was so fundamentally wrong about the pandemic too:
Sean Duffy: Leading the Pressure
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been vocal in condemning such posts, arguing that employees who celebrate Kirk’s death should be fired. He wrote on X that “this behavior is disgusting and they should be fired” and that “any company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior.”
His remarks have placed public and political pressure on airlines to act quickly. Some critics argue that Duffy’s stance heightens fears of over-enforcement or chilling effects on free speech, especially since many posts are private or off-duty. Others say public safety demands no leniency when employees entrusted with transportation promote or applaud political violence.
CONCLUSION
American and United have taken disciplinary action similar to Delta, suspending employees for social media remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death that airlines say violate internal policies. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly called for firings in response, reinforcing government expectations of corporate accountability. As details remain thin in terms of the number of employees, exact content, and timing, this will present an important test case in how companies, politics, and free speech intersect in the age of social media.
> Read More: Delta Air Lines Suspends Employees For Celebrating Charlie Kirk’s Death
@ Matthew — 128 Americans are shot and killed in America EVERY SINGLE DAY. Why is there outrage over one specific person? I never even heard of this guy until last week. How about we have obsessive media coverage of all shootings every day until the madness ends?
@Gene … I also had never heard of him .
Yet , it is right to share what happened to this specific person for everyone to never speak about politics . Politics has never reduced our taxes , so it ought to be ignored .
These radicalized lefties are a threat. Who knows what this pilot would have done of me snapped.
Right…the radical lefties were out in force on January 6th, 2021, destroying our capital. Defecating on lawmakers desks, and trashing the US Capitol.
Where was your outrage then?
You are all so easily played it’s embarrassing…..
They did nothing wrong, it was A peaceful protest.
They were political prisoners until Trump gave them the justice they deserve.
I forget…how many people did the idiots on January kill? Oh yeah. Nobody.
This was a clear and indisputable political assassination. This was a guy that thought it was better to debate your political foes than to fight them.
I guess the left felt differently. What a shock. The party of love and tolerance showing their true colors.
I condemn the killing of Charlie Kirk, but tell “nobody” to the widow of Officer Brian Sicknick. How dare you? The 1/6 terrorist insurrection should have been EXECUTED just like the thug who murdered Charlie hopefully will be. Instead, they were PARDONED by Agent Orange. I weep for Charlie.
“Social Media” is the problem , not whether people use it . Better to ban “social media” , rather than any person who uses it .
This is a pendulum and republicans are not going to be happy when it swings the other way.
Its like you forgot what happened in 2020-2024… conservatives are just playing by the rules of liberals
LOL..I believe that you believe that.
As if Joe Biden was encouraging violence while he was in office?
Stand back and stand proud….oops…that was Trump that said that.
Where’s the Republican leadership? Cowards….and all Trump and his corrupt comrades do is divide and stir the racist anger of what’s left of the republican sheep.
All Biden tried to do was clean-up the pandemic disaster left by the Trump administration. It’s going to take a decade to clean-up the second term.
Trump is fixing the mess created by decades of fifth column lefties.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
Amen to that!!!!!
Oh we’re sooooooooooooo scared.
Well you aren’t because you dont have a job or a family or really anything to lose.
Naw it’s because your side is finally getting what they deserve.
That’s cute. You think this type of thing ends here
Yes and the American people are seeing the left for what they are. The support for kirk has been overwhealming. The American people now see how dangerous the left and the transgender enablers are.
Duffy clearly shows why when you place inept people like him into jobs they’re not qualified to fulfill then you get ridiculous statements. Is anyone actually surprised at Duffy’s stupidity?
What do you mean unqualified ? This guy won the MTV Road Rules challenge! He clearly knows about roads and stuff
Do you want far left terrorist apologists flying airplanes?
This pilot clearly is a danger with his rhetoric.
Charles who?
Good and bye.
I don’t exactly understand why the line was drawn at this event, but I am glad that it was drawn…
It has been a long time coming for folks to be held accountable for the things that they put out on their public facing social media accounts.
I think it’s because the attempt succeeded this time. They wished Trump dead for a long time but his attempted murder failed. This time is was someone who’s only crime was expressing his opinion, and the murder was public
Both shootings were done by republicans
Are you still talking?
wrong they were both lefties.
I’m still waiting for the flags to go back up to full staff – this guy Kirk, no matter what he did/said/supported, certainly was no one worthy of 1/2 staff flags across America.
Yeah, the president gets to decide when the flag is 1/2 staff (and he was angry they were at that position during his inauguration because Jimmy Carter had recently died), but in this case he’s wrong. Save that incredibly high honor to those who deserved it.
I would suggest that many, including me, see the assignation of a person based on political stances a significant negative event worthy of attention. I didn’t know who he was prior to the killing. If one is outraged at the death George Floyd, then others can be outraged here (and vice versa). Not equating events, but commenting on selective outrage.
Good to know this sociopath won’t be flying anymore. I feel much safer knowing the pilot of my flight doesn’t want every Republican to die. These people have been snapping lately.
The only people actually trying to kill republicans are other republicans.
lol
lol no
The church child killer last month was a trans leftist.
The kirk shooter this week was a trans enabling leftist.
Lefties are a danger to this country and the American people are seeing this now.
Not every republican, just the Nazi’s.
Turns out the nazis are the democrats and lefties.
They keep murdering people.
Nobody is celebrating kirks murder more than you… it finally gives you an excuse to vilify democrats… you have been waiting for this moment. You are sick
He’s out George Floyd and America has become “woke” to the radicalization by the far left trannies online.
Careful. The overreaction to the death of George Floyd was horrific. It’s not your turn to return evil for evil. That is not a valid human prerogative.
Matthew – evil for evil is the equivalent of an eye for an eye. The death penalty is monstrous.
I appreciate your position and recognize that many Christians share your view, but I do not and, as I argued, believe we can fundamentally distinguish between capital punishment and vigilantism or callous revenge.
If you plant potatoes, don’t be surprised when you get potatoes.
Matt, most Americans are employees, so under your rationale, most Americans don’t have true freedom of speech. If we are all at the risk of losing our jobs if we criticize people, is that really freedom of speech?
Even quoting the words of the decedent or merely saying he was a fascist (i.e., not celebrating the death) is enough for people to get fired in the federal government and in other jobs. Thus, if someone gets fired and has to spend thousands of dollars on lawyers in court to argue that their firing violated the first amendment, is that freedom of speech?
Just to be clear, I’m not in favor of most firings. I think the answer to speech is more speech, something I’ve said in virtually every context on this blog for 15 years.
But the 1st Amendment protects Americans from the government, not private employers. It’s not an ideal situation for exactly the reason you point out, but it’s far better than the disgusting censorship we see unfolding in countries like the UK and Germany by the government itself.
Good points. But it’s reasonable to say that the pressure from US government officials now is clear- companies rightfully fear government reprisal if they don’t act. It’s not direct, but it’s the same outcome.
Here is the Attorney General being clear about it:
https://bsky.app/profile/thebulwark.com/post/3lyw4jbsjoa2u
@Matthew … Three types of speech ought to be shunned by civilized society :
(1) Graffiti scrawled on public and private property , including subways , because graffiti attracts muggers and criminals ;
(2) “Dirty” language in public or broadcast in media , because “dirty” language befouls the conversational and spiritual environments ;
(3) political advocacy by political people who have never lifted a finger to reduce taxes .
But who gets to determine what is dirty? I’m not offended by the F word, but I don’t like religion proselytizing. Perhaps the opposite is true for you.
Kirk was a charismatic speaker like Billy Graham who regretted his involvement with politics ( Nixon ) toward the end of his life. We will never know if Kirk would have had this epiphany because the option was taken from him so early.
The administration is using his death as a martyr for its own objectives and that makes me very sad. As for those that feel the need to condemn kirk on social media, you are not helping.
Duffy can easily fix this and the union won’t be able to do anything about it.
14 cfr 61.153c
Eh, another braying MAGA stooge brown-nosing the Mad Orange God King. Whilst is certainly legal for companies to censure employees for their speech, the legality of government officials urging companies to do something which they themselves cannot do is highly questionable.
This is all a distraction so people won’t talk about why the Republicans keep blocking the release of the epstein files
Oof, who gives a flying diddly about the effin’ Epstein files? Let it go, already. The victims need to get on with their recovery journey, and stop re-traumatisimg themselves by endlessly ruminating about it in public. As for the public, there are more pressing issues at hand, like how the American Experiment is circling the bowl and none of you has the first damned idea what to do about it.
Yeah. Brush off the violation of children and let’s tell them to move on? No. Back to topic, I believe Charlie Kirk was groomed by the trump family. Yes a very young conservative, but repelled by trump and his shallow values And then the funding and slow grooming started. Disgusting.
The American peopele want the left to be held accountable.
The left is now dangerous.
There’s many past examples of people winning lawsuits after being fired for comments made on social media. This could become an expensive endeavor for the airlines, especially as it comes out that some people are being punished for merely pointing out things that kirk said, and not at all celebrating his demise.
It is also starting to come out that many people being doxxed are being done so wrongly, either by being misidentified or being the victims of fake profiles.
I hope a few of those leading this charged are sued for so much that their grandkid’s grandkids have to feel it
Lefties commiting murders and other lefties celebrating that murder should have their jobs lost.
This is America. You can’t just say whatever you want. Those who don’t support the government 100% should not be trusted. They should be ostracized, and never be employed.
Sounds more like China, Russia, or North Korea.
Sad but true
You have a private citizen neither charged nor convicted or a crime from one party who openly SPOKE his mind and you have the other party who condones killing him for doing so (that same side also condoned the assassination attempt of a political candidate while encouraging private citizens to destroy personal property (teslas) of other citizens for purely political reasons)…can anyone tell me which side are the fascists? Aside from that question, why is it not ok to execute murderers, rapist and drug dealers? Is it possible that out of the 70 or so Million democrats any of them have every said something that a republican found mean or hurtful or are only democrats – whose ideology was decisively rejected by the American people last November – the only ones who get to decided who lives or dies for what they say?
The shooter is a republican, but even if he were a democrat, he wouldnt represent all democrats. The right is currently using this situation to call for violence against all democrats, and many calling for it are elected officials. That is worse than any democrats making light of the kirk killing.
Then you have fox news advocating for all homeless and mentally ill being killed. Add the Vegas shooter, January 6th…the right is pretty much all unhinged psychos at this point. Too much lead paint out there
lol no you are still spreading this misinforamation.
The shooter was a far left antifa terrorist who had been radicalized by transgender ideology.
He was a larger symptom of the danger the left now poses.
You are spreading misinformation. There has been no evidence presented supporting what you’re saying.
Plus.. all you republicans are secretly attracted to transgenders… thats why you are so against them… because its easier than coming to terms with your trans infatuation. So if he even had a Trans partner… which he doesnt (it’s a smokescreen)… wouldnt prove his political leanings either way
Yes there has
He wrote antifa slogans on his bullets
His gay tranny lover admitted he was planning this and now there are messages being linked by him to other tranny lefty discord servers.
Stop lying.
Just like the tranny lefty that killed those kids a few weeks ago this flown was radicalized by the online leftv and transgenderism ideology.
The American people this week were woken up by the radical left . The support Kirk has gotten is amazing and he’s being more more than any recently deceased president or pope.
Your ideology is dead.
If they said whatever it is that they said on company issued devices, while on duty, a suspension, maybe. if they did it from their living room, on their own devices, the management should go do something like get the bags to the carosel sooner, or something like that, leave the hardworking employees out of it.
“Real World” Sean-boy reminds us again that he is unqualified partisan hack.
Thanks for posting his picture, Matthew. Yikes! I wouldn’t let that knucklehead run the bumper car concession at the county fair. At least until he gives that troubling growth on his lip some medical attention.
I wouldn’t buy a used car from Milo Yiannopoulos, either. He’s a professional provocateur, a cheap hack, and a lowlife POS in general. I certainly wouldn’t repost anything from his X account. He has zero credibility.
We’re seeing a massive uptick in left wing violence. The Shooting of the catholic school in minestota the attack on trump and now the murder of Kirk were all done by left-wing anti-fa and transgender adjecet people.
Walter Barry is so happy that Charlie kirk was murdered because now he has an excuse to rail against democrats. He is also conveniently forgetting every other school shooter that was right wing… but he celebrates those school shootings because he loves seeing dead school children
It’s funny because it shows how deranged the left is
You can’t even admit basic facts about your tranny loving antifa shooter. Now all you terrorist enabling lefties are realizing that what goes around comes around and foolishly thought your tactics wouldn’t be used against you.
I know you won’t read this… because you probably cant… but this is what the shooter was a follower of. These guys hated Charlie kirk:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groypers
And he wasn’t a grouper. His own family and friends admit he was a lefty, he wrote Marxist slogans on his bullets. His boyfriend is a tranny and he’s involved in. Tranny discord servers.
Yes Billy bob, they are so motivated by this death , one could question those that benefit from a tragedy could well be those that caused it. Occam’s Razor.
He’s our George Floyd
You seem to have missed Maryland’s very sage words. Let me break it down. Charlie Kirk didn’t deserve this. Nor did George Floyd. But Trump lighted the fire that created this environment. Hate begets hate. A leader does not stir violence. A leader leads us out of it. In both administrations of Trump our country has been turned upside down. At what point do we begin to realize that the buck has to stop somewhere. And that all roads lead to Trump in continued turmoil and hatred whenever he is in office or touches anything. This is not change. This is trying to violently shove food down the mouth of an aneroxic.
We’re way past leading us “out of it” we are “woke” to who the enemy is and that enemy is within. You can’t stop what’s coming.
Can’t stop what’s coming? Do you know what that even is? If so, do tell.
The very fact of what occurred last week should be your understanding that as long as we are pushed towards hate on both sides by a leader that thrives on it our nation will have no direction or knowledge of what’s coming. An abusive father does not bring stability to a home. An abusive father inspires violence and uncertainty in that home.
What about the First Amendment?
Lefties say free speech not freedom of said consequences.
Here’s where we are heading with republicans in charge:
https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/01/north-korea-reportedly-punishing-insincere-mourners
Good. Can’t wait.
Get over it and back to your troll farm at VFTW . It’s likely a maga conspiracy that has taken a life and I’m on the trail to prove it.
Ps take your useless piece of twaddle with you.
That was meant for Walter
Lefties like you are great a projecting.
I look at it simply. If we want to start firing everyone for their statements on personal social media, forum comments, or whatever, the entire country would come to a standstill. Both sides are inflammatory and disrespectful.
I have opinions. Many of them strong. Some made in the heat of emotions. It does not impede on my job or my respect towards others. If any of these people were making their opinions or beliefs known in a public workspace (like the pilots who espouse MAGA stuff to passengers over the loudspeaker) that is a line. But on personal accounts or social settings (which social media can be) unless it is absolutely illegal or causing direct harm to another it’s kind of the reality today. It’s always been there. People have always had crazy opinions. But social media amplifies the triggers. In that case, do something about social media. Simple. Sadly, no one will. Without social media both sides have lost their microphone.
Lastly, none of this takes into account the emotions of the moment. Our nation is angry. Our nation is hurting. Like a couple fighting for their marriage regretful things are said in the heat of the moment. It takes leadership and compassionate friends to respect that and help calm the waters. We don’t seem to have this ability. Which is why I feel our divorce is imminent. There is no turning back from the hate. Any marriage counselor would see this is hopeless. It’s now become more about who gets ports in the Pacific and how borders will be controlled.
“I do understand the disdain for Charlie Kirk’s positions” per Matthew is concerning…There is nothing to disdain…He was a strong,intelligent,Christian man… He Had not have hatred in any of his dialogues .. He engaged the younger people in meaningful conversation about their beliefs(even if they were negative and false beliefs) He was accepting of all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’ll discuss this further on my post on Charlie that is in the works.
He was happy to sacrifice children in school shootings. That’s some new Christianity I’m not aware of
Living as a Christian in your words and actions is what counts. Calling yourself a Christian and promoting hate does not. More importantly, supporting a leader full fledged who has led a life that any true Christian should be appalled at is revealing.
Perhaps the greatest sin today is using Christianity as a shield for hate and authority. This is a “schtick” even Hitler missed.
Dee, while hypocrisy and ignorance mark your comments, don’t even try to pretend YOU are a practicing Christian. I have read your vile filthy comments on OMAAT along with cairns. And suddenly you feel qualified to judge a decent man like Kirk?
We should be firing the Trump regime, Sean Duffy included. The nasty Trump regime is incompetent except with regard to its ability to trash the US as Putin wants and in its speedy transitioning of the US into a Russian-style fascist mafia state run by sleazy fail-sons.
Sean Duffy celebrates the death of the US as a liberal representative democracy, so he ought to be fired along with the TrumpubliKKan-Vancian regime.
Amazing how MAGA suddenly approves of cancel culture…
And also discovered hate speech. Did you see Bondi’s warning?
A bunch of dangerous hypocrites.
This is what the Republicans have been working towards for decades.
antisemitism / Jewish-favorisitm laws (or culture) enter the chat…. free speech died in many countries long ago.
self-censorship is the worst
yes, hypocrisy by republican leaning folks.
just like ‘cancel culture’
but with bots manipulating opinions these days…
Celebrating the murder of anyone is wrong on so many levels. Seeds of hate are spewed by conservatives and liberals alike. Where these narcissistic dumb masses go wrong is publishing their hatred while “flying the company colors”… in other words, wearing the uniform, showing the company’s logo, etc. There are other dumb masses that will then think that the company endorses this hatred. The company has the duty and right to terminate these morons for cause…plain and simple. Don’t anyone say, “free speech” because that has nothing to do with this issue. What the dumb masses say, in most cases, is legal. However, what you say also has consequences. BUH BYE!
Do you find it concerning that Jimmy Kimmel was silenced?
Moral relativity and moral equivalence between the hatred and violence of the country’s right-wingers and the hatred and violence of those opposed to MAGA falls flat on its face and shows itself to be baseless propaganda. Just look at the numbers of murders committed by domestic political extremists in the country — that shows the real seeds of hate in the country. The numbers show quite clearly that for the entirety of your adult life there has been no more murderous domestic political threat to unarmed Americans than right-wing extremists — even into this month it remains so.
The Trump-Vance regime is itching to massacre unarmed Americans, and the regime’s blood lust is growing. Even those of us who may have thought our wealth, work, connections, education, ethnicity and passports would keep us safe from the ever hungrier fascist monsters are going to find out that what happened to Kimmel is peanuts that fail to satisfy the fascist monster with a bottomless stomach hungering for growing and endless power.
Stand up for Kimmel and others being silenced now by abusive state actors, or what remains of our democratic aspirations as a nation are destined to be buried along with the corpses of those who dare to peacefully oppose the destruction of liberal representative democracy.