Delta Takes Action
Delta Air Lines confirmed it has suspended employees whose social media posts about the fatal shooting of activist Charlie Kirk violated company standards. In an internal memo shared with CNN, CEO Ed Bastian said the content “went well beyond healthy, respectful debate” and stood in direct contrast to Delta’s values and social media policy. Those involved were suspended pending an investigation.
American Airlines Responds
American Airlines also announced disciplinary action, stating that certain employees who used social media to promote violence following Kirk’s death “were immediately removed from service.” The move follows heightened scrutiny of corporate responses to politically charged online conduct.
United Airlines Confirms Suspensions
United Airlines reminded staff of its social media guidelines in a memo to pilots, before later confirming that workers had been suspended in recent days. The company said in a statement that it maintains “zero tolerance for politically motivated violence or any attempt to justify it.”
Government Pressure
The decisions from all three carriers came amid pressure from the Trump administration, which called for companies to terminate workers who celebrated the assassination online. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that “any company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior.”
