US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed the administration's devotion to preventing entry and canceling visas for foreign nationals who, in the government's opinion, glorify the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Speaking to Fox News, Rubio made clear the administration’s stance: “We should not be giving visas to people who are going to come to the United States and do things like celebrate the murder, the execution, the assassination of a political figure,” he said.
“And if they’re already here, we should be revoking their visa. Why would we want to bring people into our country they’re going to engage in negative and destructive behavior?”
Rubio's words came after previous comments by Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, who last week posted on X criticizing foreigners for celebrating the attack. "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,"
Landau also asked the public to report these social media postings for consideration by the State Department.
“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.”
Earlier this year, Rubio said foreigners who publicly espouse support for Hamas might have their visas revoked.
The agency has used AI-powered tools to scan applicants' web behavior, expanding checks from social media to broader digital activity. Critics counter that the steps would violate First Amendment protections and due process by penalizing legitimate political speech. Officials push back, pointing out visas are discretionary and that arriving in the US is a "privilege, not a right" for foreigners.
In a Reuters report quoting an internal cable, consular staff were ordered in June to carry out "comprehensive and thorough vetting" on student and exchange visas. Specifically, the memo demanded careful scrutiny of those who could express "hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles."
More recently, a cable signed by Rubio instructed officers to vet candidates with ties to political activism that involved violence. It also stated that minimal online presence may itself be an attempt to hide bad behavior. "The process involves an examination of the entire online activity of the applicant," the directive explained, suggesting the use of "proper search engines or other online tools."
The order is part of larger tensions, with the Trump administration intensifying scrutiny of high-level universities. Harvard University, in turn, has been singled out by officials who criticize the university for allowing pro-Palestinian activism on its campus.
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