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The State Department will be monitoring the words of foreign nationals who “glorify violence” after the Charlie Kirk shooting and take “appropriate action.”
“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,” Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau wrote on X.
“I have been 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. Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the @StateDept can protect the American people.”
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Landau said in a subsequent post he would direct his consular officials to monitor replies to his X post calling out foreign nationals in the U.S. on visas who posted such rhetoric.
In June, the State Department said it would monitor the social media posts of visa applicants and would instruct applicants to set their social media to “public.”
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The State Department has already revoked over 6,000 student visas, because recipients had either overstayed visas or broken the law. The “vast majority” of legal violations were assault, driving under the influence, burglary or “support for terrorism.”
On Wednesday, Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, father of two and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The event was part of his “American Comeback Tour,” which drew a crowd of about 3,000 attendees.
Kirk was addressing a question from the audience about mass shootings involving transgender individuals when a single shot struck him in the neck. The weapon, later recovered, was a high-powered bolt-action rifle found in a nearby wooded area. Authorities believe the shot came from a rooftop roughly 200 yards away.
While the suspect remains at large, the FBI recently released imagery, imploring the public for help in identifying the shooter.
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