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President Donald Trump, with Erika Kirk, walks out to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk (Image credits: AP)
The US state department on Tuesday revoked six visas over social media comments on the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.Kirk was shot dead when speaking at a rally at a Utah university in September.
The suspect in the assassination faces the death penalty if convicted.The announcement comes as President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
What do we know about the revoked visas?
The State Department said those whose visas were revoked were citizens of Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and Paraguay."The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans," the department said in a post on X."Aliens who take advantage of America's hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed," it added.The state department said it was continuing to identify visa holders who it believes celebrated Kirk's assassination.The Trump administration has cracked down on immigration since he took office in January, increasing social media vetting and revoking thousands of visas.In August, the Trump administration said that it would include "anti-American activity" and antisemitism in immigration screening.
Kirk 'martyr for truth and freedom' — Trump
Also on Tuesday, Trump described Kirk as a "martyr for truth and freedom" as he posthumously awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.He handed the award to Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk."In the wake of Charlie's assassination, our country must have absolutely no tolerance for this radical left violence, extremism and terror," Trump said.Trump has repeatedly blamed the assassination on the "radical left," leading him to sign an order to classify the Antifa movement as a terrorist group on September 22."We're done with the angry mobs, and we're not going to let our cities be unsafe," Trump said at the ceremony.Among those present at the ceremony were Argentine President Javier Milei and several right-wing media figures.