Summary
- Mexican
congressional staffer resigned over Kirk murder comments. - Comments
made on major Mexican TV news programs. - Caused
backlash on social media and political circles. - Reflects
global sensitivity to Kirk assassination impact.
After the US deputy secretary of state, a former ambassador
to Mexico, ostensibly threatened to have Donald Trump’s administration cancel
any US visas that it would count against, the television network Milenio also
issued a public apology.
Although it happened outside of the US, the incident at
Milenio followed a pattern of people losing their employment due to remarks
made against Kirk, a self-described supporter of free speech, that American
conservatives found objectionable.
Kirk, a staunch Trump ally, was shot and killed Wednesday
while giving a speech at a Utah university. Conservative commentators,
activists, and public officials in the United States have launched social media
campaigns against those who are alleged to have disrespected Kirk’s memory
since his passing.
A Saturday morning tally by Reuters showed that at least 15
people had been fired or suspended.
On Thursday, Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of
state and former US Mexican ambassador, warned
on X that “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors
to our country”.
“Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to
my attention so that the state department can protect the American people,”
said Landau, who was appointed US ambassador to Mexico and served from 2019 to
2021 during Trump’s first presidency.
In response to Landau’s tweet, others started citing
instances of foreigners mocking or condemning Kirk’s passing. A video clip of
Salvador Ramírez, the coordinator of social communications for the ruling
Morena party, speaking on a Milenio television news program was one of them.
Ramírez spoke about Kirk’s murder on a roundtable political
analysis program with Milenio.
“I think if Charlie Kirk lived, he may like what I am
about to say, because what I am about to say is very ‘anti-woke’,”
Ramírez
facetiously said.
“He was given a spoonful of his own chocolate. They gave a
spoonful to someone who promoted the use of weapons. They gave a spoonful to
someone who was financed by the National Rifle Association – a political
association that is of the extreme right, pro-Trump, of the most radical wing
of the Republicans.”
Turning Point USA is “an anti-rights, anti-LGBT –
practically anti-women – movement,” Ramírez continued.
Landau responded with a graphic that read “El
Quitavisas,” which translates to “the visa remover,” after a
post tagging Milenio and the Morena party alerted him about Ramirez’s remarks.
Minutes later, Landau targeted Milenio, one of Mexico’s most popular news sites
in terms of readership and viewership.
“Really, Milenio? This is the level of ‘discourse’ that
you promote on your channel? I am embarrassed for having interacted with you
during my tenure as United States ambassador to Mexico,”
Landau wrote.
Which Mexican party or administration responded to the
resignation?
The Mexican congressional staffer’s resignation in light of
comments surrounding Charlie Kirk’s murder was quickly answered by the ruling
party of Mexico, Morena (Movement for National Regeneration), who described the
resignation as necessary accountability amidst the backlash.
While there were certainly not many public statements
detailing the resignation, it is consistent with the broader aims of Morena for
managing the political repercussions of controversies, and to demonstrate its
ability to respond to popular opinion, to impose accountability, and to
maintain internal discipline.
Morena remains dominant in Mexican politics, wielding
considerable power in Congress and the presidency, and this incident highlights
both the extent of the pressure of public criticism and the extent to which
Morena will go to implement consequences for its behavior toward its
reputation.
