Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican congressman from Florida, said people publicly celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk “must be thrown out of civil society” and asked constituents to identify anyone in government, working for entities that receive public funds or holding professional licenses who are celebrating the killing.
Fine, who won a special election and took office earlier this year, posted on X that he was crowdsourcing tips across the state — and specifically in Florida’s 6th Congressional District — so his office could pursue firings, defunding and license revocations for those involved. "If you are aware of anyone in the 6th District of Florida — or heck, anywhere in the state — who works at any level of government, works for an entity that gets money from government (health care, university), or holds a professional license (lawyer, medical professional, teacher) that is publicly celebrating the violence, please contact my office. I will demand their firing, defunding, and license revocation," Fine wrote.
Fine added in a subsequent post that he had previously pushed to have two state university board chairmen removed for less, and that those celebrating Kirk’s death were "monsters" who “want a fight.” Elon Musk reacted to Fine’s post on X with the hundred-points emoji. Fine also wrote that seeing posts on X exposing teachers, medical professionals or service members celebrating the killing was “profoundly disturbing.”
Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., took a similar approach on social media last week, saying he would seek to remove celebrants from platforms and to pursue penalties beyond bans. "So, I’m going to lean forward in this fight, demanding that big tech have zero tolerance for violent political hate content, the user to be banned from ALL PLATFORMS FOREVER," Higgins wrote on X. He added that he planned to go after business licenses and permitting, blacklist businesses, seek removal from schools and push for revocation of drivers’ licenses for those who celebrated Kirk’s assassination. "I’m basically going to cancel with extreme prejudice these evil, sick animals who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination," Higgins wrote.
The social media posts follow reports that some users publicly celebrated Kirk’s death. At least one school resource officer was removed after making what officials called unacceptable posts about the assassination, according to media reports. The removals and calls for punitive action have drawn attention from elected officials and platform operators as well as from the public.
Fine framed his appeal to constituents as a duty to ensure people in positions of public trust or with professional credentials do not condone violence. His post asked citizens to contact his office with names so he could demand employment and licensing actions. Higgins, an outspoken Republican who has served as an impeachment manager in a previous House proceeding, urged platform bans and broader penalties through social and regulatory pressure.
Both representatives used X to make their announcements. Social-media responses to the assassination and to calls for punitive action have continued to evolve, with some officials and private-sector actors taking quick disciplinary steps in specific cases. Elon Musk’s engagement with Fine’s post highlighted the attention from major platform figures.
The developments add to a debate over how public officials and private platforms should respond when users celebrate politically motivated violence, and about the appropriate balance between punitive measures and legal protections for speech. Law enforcement investigations, platform content policies and state licensing authorities were cited by officials as possible avenues for action in individual cases, but Fine and Higgins did not provide details on legal processes or timelines for the broader enforcement efforts they urged.
Fox News reported the lawmakers' posts and the reactions they generated on social media.
