JD Vance backs mass doxing campaign against critics of Charlie Kirk’s killing

The Charlie Kirk Show was hosted on Monday, September 15, 2025, by US Vice President JD Vance. During the episode, Vance addressed the public response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which took place on September 10 at Utah Valley University.

Speaking on the podcast, Vance urged people to actively confront and report those who celebrated Kirk’s death, stating:

“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out. Hell, call their employer.”

He described the campaign as a matter of civility rather than politics, saying,

“We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility, and there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.”

Vance’s comments came amid reports of a mass “doxing” effort coordinated online, where individuals accused of mocking or criticizing Kirk were identified and reported to employers.

An anonymous website rebranded as the “Charlie Kirk Data Foundation” claimed to have received over 63,000 submissions documenting such behavior.

The effort has already resulted in job losses across sectors, from education to aviation. While some of these cases involved workers quoting Kirk’s own past statements, they were still swept into the campaign’s broad scope. 

Vance’s call and growing campaign regarding Charlie Kirk's shooting incident

During the podcast, Vance directly endorsed the reporting of individuals perceived as celebrating Kirk’s death.  

The website, which was initially launched under the name “Expose Charlie’s Murderers,” claimed it had been targeted by hackers but still managed to collect over 63,000 submissions.

The campaign has already had visible consequences. In the past few days, several individuals across different professions have been dismissed from their jobs after being linked to online posts about Kirk’s death.

These ranged from a college employee to a commercial airline pilot. Critics have noted that some of those caught up in the campaign had simply quoted Kirk’s past remarks, including controversial comments about the Civil Rights Act and gun rights.

One such case involved Army Lt Col Christopher Ladnier, who repeated Kirk’s statement describing the Civil Rights Act as a “beast” and suggesting gun deaths were the “cost of the second amendment.”

The campaign has raised questions about whether it is targeting actual threats or simply those expressing critical views. Nonetheless, Vance and other Trump administration figures presented it as a necessary step to defend public civility and discourage political violence.

Political response and wider concerns 

Vance was joined on the podcast by Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff to President Donald Trump, who expanded on the administration’s plans.

“With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, homeland security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks,” Miller said.

He described those celebrating Kirk’s death as part of a “vast domestic terrorist network.”

Trump allies have also argued that Kirk’s assassination reflects broader threats from what they describe as coordinated left-wing extremism, although no direct evidence has been presented.

Republican-led states such as Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma have announced investigations of teachers and school staff following allegations that they made inappropriate comments. The US military has similarly invited public reporting of service members accused of mocking Kirk’s death, and confirmed that some personnel have already been removed.

These measures have drawn comparisons to earlier crackdowns in American history. Adam Goldstein of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression stated:

“The government involvement in this does inch this closer to looking like McCarthyism.”

Observers noted that the wide scope of the campaign risked penalizing not just those who endorsed violence, but also those critical of Kirk’s past statements.

The political leanings of the accused shooter remain unclear, and recent years have seen attacks on both Democrats and Republicans.

Examples include the June 2025 assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, and the 2022 assault on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

Against this backdrop, Vance and Trump administration officials framed the doxing campaign as part of a larger strategy to prevent future violence and restore order.

Stay tuned for more updates.