The fallout from the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is having reverberations across the United States, not only in the political sphere but also in the everyday work and home lives of many Americans.
Delta Air Lines has not escaped the fallout, with pilots and other employees openly discussing the murder and the motives behind the assassin, not only at work but also on their personal social media accounts.
Now, the famously liberal airline has warned pilots that they face termination if they violate the carrier’s strict social media guidelines when discussing the Charlie Kirk slaying.
Several employees, including pilots, have already been suspended by the Atlanta-based carrier over comments they have posted online, while many more employees could find themselves the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the coming days.
In a leaked internal memo shared by aviation insider xJonNYC on X, the airline told staff:
“Whether we’re in uniform and on the clock, online or out in public, our colleagues, customers and communities expect us to reflect Delta’s values – integrity, care and servant leadership – that we hold dear,” the airline wrote.
“This week 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. These social posts stand in stark contrast to our values and our social media policy, and these employees have been suspended pending an investigation.”
The memo added: “Violations of our social media policy can carry meaningful consequences, including termination.”
“Remember that we all represent Delta, at all times, in any forum. It’s essential that we act in ways that uphold our shared values and the human connection that defines us.”
Perhaps as an indication of just how seriously Delta is taking this issue, the memo was written and signed by the airline’s chief executive, Ed Bastian.
Pilots are one of the few workgroups at Delta who are unionized, so expect the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) to get involved in the situation. As xJonNYC notes, this situation “has the potential to get very heated.”
Although Delta is considered a fairly liberal airline, its pilot workgroup generally leans more conservative, a trend that runs throughout the US aviation industry. It’s unlikely that pilots will take lightly to being told what they are allowed to post in private forums about a figure that had become so important to the conservative movement.
Delta has, however, enforced a very strict social media policy for many years now. Back in 2018, Delta barred employees from posting anything on social media that could be considered ‘insensitive’ or ‘offensive.’
A broadly written policy that was, unsurprisingly, criticized by unions because of its potential to be “misinterpreted to restrict lawful activities”.
In the past, Delta has refused to back down on its stance on social media, explaining: “Delta is a values-led company and our employees know and understand that they are representatives of our brand at work and through their conduct in social media and other public forums.”
“When Delta employees intermix Delta’s brand with conduct or content that does not reflect our values of professionalism, inclusion, and respect, that conduct can result in discipline or termination.”
It’s not just Delta that is facing issues with social media posts related to the Charlie Kirk murder, however. According to xJonNYC, there could also be trouble brewing at Southwest Airlines, especially amongst its conservative-leaning pilot workgroup.
This might not be so surprising given Southwest’s history with pilots taking part in political activism while on the clock.
In 2021, for example, Southwest launched an investigation into allegations that a pilot used the phrase ‘Let’s go Brandon’ during a passenger announcement that was made over the public address system on a flight between Houston and Albuquerque.
As a reminder, the phrase became a popular derogatory term to refer to the then-President Joe Biden. ‘Let’s go Brandon’ first entered the public lexicon in October 2021 and was code for ‘F**k Joe Biden’.
Less than a year later, a Southwest pilot was spotted with a large slogan sticker attached to his crew bag, which read: “I used to be liberal. Then I left home & got a job”.
Southwest said that it “does not condone Employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job serving our Customers.”
This all goes back to brand recognition. The narcissistic idea that one must post every part of their miserable lives, from the number of daily bowel movements to what they have for dinner, to everyone in the same miserable mindset is ludicrous. IF on their social media sites there is any hint as to their employer,, then the employer has the right to control what is posted on the employee’s accounts. Many of the dumb masses that read this narcissistic drivel will equate the employee’s beliefs to that of the employer.