Airlines suspend workers for posts about shooting of Charlie Kirk

Delta Airlines and American Airlines planes taxi at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. Charly Triballeau/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines say they have suspended workers for social media posts about last week’s fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

“We were made aware of Delta employees whose social media content, related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk, went well beyond healthy, respectful debate,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in an internal memo shared with CNN.

“These social posts stand in stark contrast to our values and our social media policy, and these employees have been suspended pending an investigation,” Bastian said in the memo.

In a statement, American Airlines says some employees who posted to “promote such violence on social media were immediately removed from service.”

The moves are among the latest corporate blowback on workers following pressure from the Trump administration to fire those who “were caught celebrating the assassination.”

“This behavior is disgusting and they should be fired,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X Saturday. “Any company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior.”

United Airlines also sent a memo to pilots reminding them of the company’s social media policy.

Late Sunday, the airline confirmed to CNN that it has suspended workers over the last few days.

In a statement, United Airlines said, “We’ve been clear with our customers and employees that there’s zero tolerance for politically motivated violence or any attempt to justify it.”

By Pete Muntean, CNN