Alexandra lost her job within eight hours of posting on Facebook about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, amid an online pressure campaign. The post, which echoed Kirk's past comments on an attack against Paul Pelosi, drew backlash from a large X account and threats to her safety. She described the episode as state-sponsored censorship backed by political figures.
On September 12, 2025, at 10:13 a.m., Alexandra, a recent hire in cybersecurity, posted on Facebook two days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10. Her message mimicked Kirk's 2022 remarks about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Kirk had questioned why the attacker remained in jail and suggested someone bail him out to ask questions. Alexandra wrote similarly about the alleged gunman in Kirk's killing: "And why is he still in jail? Why has he not been bailed out? By the way, if some amazing patriot out there in Utah wants to be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail out Tyler Robinson... Bail him out and then go ask him some questions about Charlie."
The post initially drew little attention, but around midday, Alexandra commented on a friend's criticism of similar posts, defending it as quoting Kirk. Hours later, an anonymous X account with over 500,000 followers—followed by figures like Elon Musk—reposted a screenshot, naming Alexandra and her New York City-based employer. Within less than three hours, she received a termination email. The employer confirmed to NPR that a firing occurred that day due to "failure to adhere to our established company policies," though it did not name her. Alexandra had started the job just two weeks prior.
The backlash escalated quickly. Online users shared her employer's contact details, threatened calls, emails, and negative reviews, and even doxxed her address by referencing a nearby Italian restaurant. Fearing for her safety, Alexandra fled her apartment, first to a friend's place in New York City—waking in her host's child's princess room—then to another in Connecticut for three or four days.
This incident reflects broader campaigns following Kirk's death. Vice President Vance, guest-hosting Kirk's former podcast, urged listeners to "call their employer" for those celebrating the killing. The X account targeted at least 150 people between September 10 and 19, with NPR verifying 12 outcomes: 10 firings and two employers standing by staff. Alexandra, born in the former Soviet Union and raised in the U.S. for greater freedoms, called it "state-sponsored censorship," though not officially documented. She felt Kirk's death was tragic but objected to his portrayal as a free speech martyr, given his Christian nationalist views. "As an American, I don't think we have to value the same things. We just have to protect each other's ability to say, though."
Researchers like Daniel Trottier note the campaigns' explicit focus on employment, amplified by influential accounts. Alexandra now worries about chilling effects on speech, has privatized her social media, and seeks to remove the X post without success.