Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday delivered sharp criticism of the left in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, arguing that the First Amendment does not protect those who allegedly celebrated Kirk’s death from consequences. Vance told Fox News that while the First Amendment protects a lot of “very ugly speech,” celebrating Kirk’s death should not shield an individual from being fired. He added that if a university professor, who benefits from American tax dollars, celebrates the death of Kirk, they “should lose their job or your university should, should face a loss of funding.”
Vance also acknowledged that while the government may not be able to act on all speech, “civil society” can. He expressed gratification that people are “standing up and saying, ‘Yes, we have free speech and yes, we have free debate, but if you’re celebrating the death of a young father, you ought to pay some consequences for it.’”
Threats of Government and Funding Action
The First Amendment does not universally protect people from professional consequences for offensive speech. However, in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, the Trump administration has indicated it intends to target liberal groups for investigation or other actions, which critics see as an effort to stifle free speech and dissent.
Vance’s comments, particularly his threats on federal funding for universities, reflect how the administration could use the levers of government to advance that effort. He said there have been conversations within the administration about targeting organizations that he claims fund left-wing political violence. Vance vowed, “If you encourage or fund your fellow Americans or anybody else to commit acts of violence because you disagree with political speech, you are going to be treated like a terrorist organization and we are going to go after you.”
These remarks aired as President Donald Trump announced he will designate Antifa, a far-left anti-fascism movement, as a terrorist organization. Vance echoed Trump’s comments that “left-wing radicals ‘are the problem,'” dismissing the idea that left-wing and right-wing violence are equal in 2025 as “preposterous.”
Reflections on Charlie Kirk’s Influence
When asked about calls from Democrats to “lower the temperature,” Vance responded by urging those on the left to “look in the mirror” first. The vice president also shared that he was the one who told Trump about Kirk’s passing. He described the president’s reaction as “very stoic, but he was clearly upset.”
Vance also credited Kirk for his support, stating, “I would not be the Vice President of the United States were it not for Charlie Kirk.” He called Kirk a “good guy” and a “young father,” and said that aside from Trump, he couldn’t think of a single person who deserves more credit for his political rise. When asked if he supports televising the trial of the suspect, Tyler Robinson, Vance said it “strikes me as a good idea.”
What The Author Thinks
Vice President Vance’s comments, while ostensibly about civility and consequences, seem to be using the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s death to advance a broader political agenda. By conflating offensive speech with the act of assassination and by threatening to use the power of the government to target political opponents, the administration is moving away from the core principles of free speech and dissent. This rhetoric, particularly the designation of a political movement as a terrorist organization, risks further escalating the very tensions it claims to be addressing. The focus on punishing political opponents rather than addressing the root causes of radicalization on all sides of the political spectrum sets a dangerous precedent for future political discourse.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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