Posted on 09/14/2025 6:09:49 AM PDT by Libloather
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines confirmed that employees have been removed from duty after making celebratory or mocking remarks online about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced Saturday that American Airlines pilots involved had been “immediately grounded” and urged their permanent removal.
“This behavior is disgusting and they should be fired,” Duffy wrote on X. “Any company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior. We heal as a country when we send the message that glorifying political violence is completely unacceptable.”
American Airlines issued a statement saying it “condemns violence of any kind” and that “hate-related or hostile behavior runs contrary to our purpose, which is to care for people on life’s journey. Any such behavior is unacceptable, and we have already initiated action to address this with our team.”
FOX Business reported that Delta also suspended multiple employees after they posted on social media about Kirk’s assassination. Delta told FOX 5 Atlanta that the conduct violated company policy and could result in termination. CEO Ed Bastian reminded staff in an internal memo that “whether we’re in uniform and on the clock, online or out in public, our colleagues, customers and communities expect us to reflect Delta’s values.”
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I’m not sure censoring people for social media posts is a wise idea. If the pilots had made their comments to a plane load of passenders then sure fire them. But on the internet how does one make the connection this is a pilot speaking? Aren’t they allowed as private individuals to speak their minds?
I’ve been asked about my politics a few times in 50 years.
My standard answer is, “I’m a real doctor”.
They managed to alter the truth pretty quickly. I really dislike these liars. But, someone is buying the snake oil.
Military are limited in what they can say in public, the the Delta response sums it up also.
A commercial airline pilot with “issues.”
What could go wrong? As I don’t have enough to worry about. Now I have to check out who’s at the controls. Great........
I was gonna say that i think every company should put out a statement that they will not tolerate hate in regards to the shooting, but on second thought, let the vile evil morons who celebrate his death out themsleves and lose their jobs!
They are allowed, in the sense that they will not be criminally charged for expressing their opinion, unlike in the UK or Europe or China, where they could be so charged.
That said, if you were the CEO of an airline, and one of your pilots had expressed an opinion that Republicans should be murdered, would you think it wise to continue to employ that pilot?
I understand, and I salute you for that. But i think the doctor’s response to Reagan in that situation was a nice touch that Reagan appreciated.
People are allowed to live with the consequences of their speech.
If they celebrate murder, they’re mentally unstable and should not be allowed around small children or in the cockpit until cleared by mental health professionals.
We play by the rules they give us.
omg.
All walls of safety would have been torn down and crapped on. trans, gay, minority - no pilots license?? NO PROBLEM. Here, take this weekend course and your first passenger flight is next week.
His death has not exposed anything that wasn’t already known.
What it has totally exposed is the continuing irresponsibility of Social Media. People have access to instant communications with no filters, in the “Old Days” when all you could do was write a letter to editor you had to time think about things and the editors would not run anything that counter to public decency.
Now no editors or filters for millions of people who write and say things in the heat of the moment and many probably regret their remarks later.
I often wonder what would have been the situation if Social Media had been around in the turbulent 1960’s starting with Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War for starters?
Used to be that employees were told. “The customer is zlwzys right, even when they arent”, and customers were treated with respect by and large. Now employees routinely tell their customers to buzz off (using the f word) and “go find somewhere else, we dont care”
Society has taken a very sharp turn into uncivil-ness
How do you celebrate someone’s assassination? Is it ok for someone to assassinate you if they don’t like your words?
sounds petty, but wearing a maga hat in a restaurant might cause your burger to get spit on, a big green blob of mucus underneath the cheese.
I’ve flown an before so its possible.
OMG have you seen photos of at least one of them who “ dresses female in the cockpit”.???
If individuals on gender dysphoria hormones are too psychologically unfit for military service, they should not be flying commercial airliners. You wanna fly with that if he/ she gets angry at someone or get depressed and has a “ romantic breakup” ?
The unions wont let airlines fire these guys but put them in jobs tracking down lost baggage or something
Good!
And, I hope AA and Delta follow through with the firing.
If not. They’re up for a boycott.
13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.…
Billions are rushing into hell, eyes wide open, and doing so willingly because they would rather serve the evil one than to be civil decent people who obey God.
1 in 3 liberals apparently think its ok
These are not private statements.
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