U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, expressed concern for free speech at a press conference Sept. 24 as Wisconsinites and people across the country face job loss and other repercussions for remarks against recently killed conservative media personality Charlie Kirk.
Over 100 people across the U.S. faced repercussions for comments against Kirk after his assassination Sept. 10, including late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. His show was pulled from the air by ABC, a Disney subsidiary, for six days before returning.
Pocan said these firings are a result of “Trumpification.”
“They want every single one of those people to be fired from their jobs,” Pocan said. “I find that chilling.”
Multiple other Wisconsinites, particularly school faculty, have faced consequences from their employers for remarks against Kirk, while U.S. Rep Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chen, continues to threaten them with his proposed legislation.
“That’s something that... generally comes out of countries that end in -stan or third-world authoritarian countries, not the United States of America,” Pocan said. “We’re not Trumpistan.”
Ellsworth High School, located in western Wisconsin, also sparked controversy when math teacher Krista Lesiecki posted remarks against Kirk to social media.
“He said deaths are worth it for the Second Amendment. He spewed hate,” Lesiecki said in the post. “I disagree with his comment and essentially everything he stood for. But if you liked what he stood for, then you can’t be upset that he died. He fulfilled his destiny.”
Van Orden responded to Lesiecki’s remarks on X, threatening to “remove all federal funding, including grants and community directed projects for the entire city of Ellsworth unless this is rectified immediately.”
“I represent Ellsworth in Congress,” Van Orden said in the post. “It is a beautiful town full of wonderful people, except this one.” Pocan addressed the post at the conference and said it is largely ignorant of free speech law.
Van Orden introduced a bill on Sept. 15 to defund entities employing people who “condone and celebrate political violence and domestic terrorism,” which experts say is likely unconstitutional.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization advocating for conservative politics on college and university campuses. Wesley Nickchen, a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chapter who hosted Kirk last year, told The Daily Cardinal he believes Van Orden has the right to threaten funding to the city of Ellsworth.
“I think Congress has the full right to limit the amount of money going to anybody for any reason,” Nickchen said.
Like many Kirk supporters, Nickchen said he was disgusted by celebrations over Kirk’s death, adding while individuals have their own right to free speech, so do employers.
“If someone specifies that they’re happy on social media that Charlie Kirk was assassinated,” Nickchen said, “I think that it’s their employer’s job to fire them.”
Pocan referenced a study claiming to have identified over 60,000 people criticizing Kirk or celebrating his death. While Pocan condemned violent speech, he said people are “allowed to be an idiot and say bad things,” even if the speech was against Kirk.
