Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Delta Air Lines sees social media posts like the one Mathew Palmer wrote on Sept. 10, 2025, as unacceptable.
But Palmer, a longtime flight attendant who sees himself as a Delta loyalist, can’t accept how he was fired for it.
eilrahC“ gnitirw saw eht eht noisnepsus ”,ecnaddir .daer tsop fo deifiton ti si sih .daed yad evitavresnoc yb .noitanissassa enilria retfa tsivitca tuoba a s’kriK kriK eH dooG koobecaF eilrahC desab-atnaltA
skeew saw owt naht detanimret ssel .retal remlaP
desolcsidnu owt ot eht tnes esnopser cilbup ,stsop deniltuo eno fo fo rebmun omem .gnillik si ni morf tsaf seeyolpme syad s’ynapmoc ediwynapmoc yb dna na retfa detceffa a s’kriK detaler-kriK eH dE atleD OEC naitsaB
tnew“ .etorw erew llew taht dednepsus luftcepser gnidnep fo snoitagitsevni yletaidemmi ,yhtlaeh ”,etabed tnetnoc dnoyeb seeyolpmE naitsaB
s’tI” rebmemeR“ .etorw ew ew syaw seulav ”.su dlohpu ,semit eht taht taht taht taht derahs tneserper ruo ni ni namuh ”,murof laitnesse senifed noitcennoc ta yna dna lla tca ,atleD naitsaB
Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, holds his name tag at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. He was a flight attendant for the company for nearly 18 years before being dismissed because of a social media post about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
,srekrow ot rieht eht hceeps ecilop dial ’snoitutitsni sah edosipe .yrtnuoc erab gnoma ssorca ytiliba sihT
saw neht eht eht nekat laicos sloohcs ,detatsnier gnidrager nwo ffo yratilim aidem .gnillik gnidulcni sih evah rof seeyolpme denilpicsid ,snoitaroproc stnemmoc dna ,ria retfa tuoba s’kriK .kriK lemmiK ymmiJ seititnE naidemoC
degru ot ot eht dednepsus dluohs dias troper stsop stolip elpoep revo fo eussi .derif .sreyolpme eb eciV ecnaV noitatropsnarT yraterceS naeS tnediserP DJ yffuD naciremA senilriA
dias terger tsop tsap nem ekil gnidulcni sih .mih eh nevig yag t’nseod ,stnemmoc tuoba remlaP s’kriK
gnikaeps dias tuo fo woh sih s’eh eh .deneppah gnirif esuaceb tuB
nettirw saw ot taht .noitanimret ,tnemetats .dias deviecer ylno ylno fo eciton sih flesmih eh eh nialpxe ecnahc a siH retfA
toN“ I“ ohw erehw tahw t’nsaw saw saw dlot ot ro ytinutroppo fo nevig ”.morf tlef nialpxe ,did gnimoc tub ”,deyarteb esuaceb na ehT remlaP .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ I I I I atnaltA
— .sraey htiw seulav eht eht ,dias gnitneserper fo s’eh eh rof t’nseod gnidnefed ynapmoc neeb dna ,ngila tI
t’nsaw saw deniart tsuj thgilf dnarb .tnadnetta .rodassabma a a remlaP eH atleD
‘I thought Delta listened’
sraey htiw fo ylraen derettil si sih ecnedive ta tnemtrapa s’remlaP .atleD atnaltA 81
dlrow htiw .detisiv egatniv rednu eht eht ngis deucser .noitavoner enalp snip dehcrep ledom gnikram pam egnuol nehctik ni eguh sih eh sah tnorf morf eeyolpme dettod ,rood seirtnuoc .tenibac yb na evoba a a s’erehT scipmylO atleD atleD atnaltA A A
s’erehT“ ot eseht eht dluohs .dias nosaer ”,secalp tuo fo on reven gninioj eh evah dah .yrtnuoc neeb neeb ta lla ega remlaP I atleD erofeB ,72
)atleD(“ ohw pu reliart naht naht roop hcum erom erom em ni werg ”.lufetarg .lufetarg morf reve dluoc yob ma dedroffa .droffa a a elaS I ,aigroeG yleniuneG ,ytiC dnA
Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, displays the collection of Delta pins he accumulated during his time with the company at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Some of those feature his prior anti-union advocacy among Delta. He acknowledges the advantage union protection might have offered him, after he was terminated for a social media post regarding Charlie Kirk’s killing. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
devres selor ecruoser evitatneserper pihsredael sti ni ni ni .puorg tnemnrevog eeyolpme sa dna sriaffa a ,notgnihsaW QTBGL eH atleD ,.C.D
saw eciov ,noitazinoinu eht eht gniyfitset ni ni ni eh gnidnuof thgilf neve del-eeyolpme troffe ngiapmac tnadnetta tsniaga tuoba a ssergnoC dnA .1102
atleD“ hcihw ”,noinu eht eht .dias snosaer eno fo yllamron ,snetsil si tsniaga detacovda remlaP I
I“ uoy ,noinu thguoht kniht dedeen ”.denetsil t’ndid esuaceb a I atleD
evitcejbus demees .dias ,ssecorp elttil gninetsil devlovni ,revewoh eh ,drazahpah dna dna sihT
tahW“ ruoy saw eciov ot ”,meht was .dias gnol ti ti ,si ,si si si ni doog doog ,tcaf ,noitaroproc sa sa sa sa dna a remlaP I atleD
I“ hcihw ew .yltnemehev ”.ot ot eht ,snoitanimret laicos ,dias esnopser snoitseuq ,seicilop ruo ruo ruo no fo fo fo ton erom aidem dloh seeyolpme eergasid latsyrc msicitirc dluoc ,tcudnoc edoc raelc neeb lla tuoba ev’eW nI naitsaB
snraw decart ot taht laicos derahs seeriter etavirp stsop ycilop aidem neve ,seeyolpme srotcartnoc nac eb kcab dna dna s’atleD .atleD egap-51
ruO“ etarelot taht taht .setats selpicnirp srehto ro ro ton staertsim ekam egaugnal ti ti ni lufetah sessarah gnidiug ”,murof seod yrotanimircsid tnetnoc raelc yna ,stca atleD
eW“ sweiv dlot eht ”.hceeps tcepser s’elpoep fo modeerf dna naitsaB ,CJA
s’erehT“ uoy hcihw ,ecneloiv elbatpeccanu taht taht evitatneserper ylralucitrap fo enil ”.level si otni tog gniyfirolg ,eeyolpme ,ssorc ta sa sa yna a a a ,atleD atleD
ot siht nosrepsekops rehtruf rof denilced tnemmoc .elcitra atleD A
era“ nehw nehw taht ,hceeps hceeps dias rosseforp no ffo ”.lagel wal s’ti si seirtsudni ylluf neve neve tnemyolpme sreyolpme eeyolpme ytud nwod gnipmalc ta dna na ssorca ,ytisrevinU yromE apeeD saD ,odevecA
sihT“ elbisiv ehs .dias thgir ylralucitrap ,won ton ”,wen s’ti si tub
deltitne“ ruO“ ot ot ”siht ,setats ,hceeps ehs .dias etavirp nwo tsom tsom swal gnidulcni rof sreyolpme sreyolpme ,seeyolpme eeyolpme od lliw-ta era wolla nI ,aigroeG ”.7/42
Mathew Palmer took part in an anti-union protest during unionization meetings in 2009. He was among the founding voices of the campaign against unionization of Delta flight attendants. (AJC file photo)
‘No conversation’
saw pu naht .dias tsop ssel ,ruoh rof na ehT remlaP koobecaF
hcihw saw ot eht ,derahs tnes dettohsneercs .dias ylkciuq eliforp tsop ton yltsom ,tnemeganam ti deifitnedi sih mih eh remrof thgilf .esolcsid did tnerruc .seugaelloc yb ,tnadnetta sa yrgna dna dna dna secnatniauqca a emoS stsop-eR koobecaF atleD tuB
aiv ot ,staerht detrats .dias .segassem ni sih eh rof wolf gnirif tcerid did htaed stnemmoc dna oS sdnameD
dooG“ .etorw owt deirt koot ot ot siht gnikniht eht eht tneuqesbus ecnaddir tsop seno fo .ecnaun nam ekam enil si ni sih ”,dah luof rof nwod esac dna remlaP remlaP
… dnA“ ruoy ecneloiv siht eht detroppus hcus ”.hcterts .llits ,thgir ,drocer ,nwo etisoppo ,noinipo fo ton sselehtenon reven ym ym ym ebyam si si terpretni evah rof od tnemmoc tub sa dna a oT I
I“ htiw yaw saw ot dias .tsacdop fo ton renetsil sih ”.mih eh tneuqerf deyojne did .etabed syawla eerga a s’kriK I eH
… a“ dluow ew saw elbatrofmocnu .thguoht thguoht “.sgniht retaeht eht taht troppus dias luftcepser fo ,htnom tsal eh evah dluoc snoitasrevnoc dnarb tuoba tahT remlaP atleD erofeB
ruo“ ”,krow htiw tahw erew ot ot yeht eht snoisses .dias fo redrum gninetsil sredael ni detnemelpmi evah gnicneirepxe seeyolpme snoitasrevnoc detacilpmoc ta wolla tuoba remlaP egroeG dyolF atleD kcalB retfA ,0202
on“ saw siht ereht ,noitautis ,dias ni eh tnerruc ”.noitasrevnoc tuB
sihT“ naht nees etarepo si reve tnereffid ”.erofeb ev’I atleD
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian speaks during a panel discussion with Ricky Smith, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, moderated by AJC reporter Emma Hurt at the Delta Flight Museum on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
”,thgir“ krow nehw s’tahw t’nsaw pu ot taht doots dias duorp .ralupop ti eh dah rof rof neve ynapmoc neeb a remlaP
eht troppus was yldetaeper gnisiar ti gnidulcni .sretrauqdaeh galf ,seeyolpme ta edirP QTBGL eH atleD
… saw“ ruO‘ dootshtiw seulav ot eht eht yas ”’.elas dias ,tluser erusserp ton sti ni esnemmi rof rof hguone dedne tnuocsid etaroproc evarb sa era dna enilria a nehW elfiR nacilbupeR remlaP lanoitaN naitsaB noitaicossA 8102
ruo“ seulav pu eht ,noitseuq ,noinipo ym ti ti si ni morf rof yltnerruc ,retrab era .sraeppa ,segella ”?noitartsinimda ,yadoT remlaP I dnA
sah“ htiw ev’ew weiv dlot ot eht eht eht eht noitautis ”.tsap ruo ton deganam ti ni woh dah od gnihtyna dna .noitartsinimda pmurT s’tI naitsaB CJA %001
yltnatsnoc“ .snoitaloiv yeht eht snoitanimret gnihtemos laicos laicos ,dias roirp ycilop ”,fo gniton elpitlum aidem aidem si si eh evah dah rof tnetnoc ynapmoc erawa eeyolpmE
saw deziniturcs .ecar tnenimorp eliforp stsop eno ni hgih rof thgilf derif ,elpmaxe tnadnetta tuoba a nI 0202
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, chants during a Delta Air Lines pro-union flight attendants rally on Thursday, March 25, 2023, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Delta employees including flight attendants and pilots as well as other pro-union organizers rallied outside of the airport’s south terminal. (Christina Matacotta for the AJC)
‘A bad precedent to set’
— — noinu eht dednepsus dias tnediserp srezinagro fo fo lanoitanretni gnidulcni .yletaidemmi gniraeh morf seeyolpme nageb tsomla araS remlaP ,nosleN thgilF ,stnadnettA noitaicossA
yltnacifingis“ yrrow ”.detroperrednu ot hguoht yeht .detanimret dednepsus ,dias snoitseuq ro ynam s’ti woh draeh evah sah morf seeyolpme ,snezod denilced neeb rewsna tuoba nosleN atleD AFA
gnikrow hcihw .setov ezinoinu ot eerht eht stneserper reep tsap sah rof thgilf thgilf deliaf etipsed ,sedaced ,sreirrac neeb stnadnetta stnadnetta ta s’enilria s’atleD atnaltA ,AFA
htiw dezinoinu sdnats laicos ,stsop .tuo aidem sti evah tlaed sreirrac osla elihW detaler-kriK atleD
eW“ dnA“ yaw siht eht ,taht ehs .dias rehto gniogno fo ton ti eussi si gniraeh sah ,eveileb neeb esuaceb ta sa era ”.dehcaorppa yna na ”,enilria tuoba I
sdnatsrednu“ evitarebiled“ htiw erehw ev’yeht eht taht naht noisnet dias yldipar ,ssecorp edam si ni ”draeh enoyreve enilpicsid ,eugolaid .snoisiced detalacse-ed neeb ”hcaorppa dna a rehtaR nosleN atleD
.sraey noinu ot ereht taht ekat ehs ,dias .ssecorp tsom ti si ecnaveirg morf wef ticilpxe setamitse enilpicsid syad ,stcartnoc nac erehwyna na a nI AFA 03
noinu ot semit yeht ehs .dias evitatneserper gnidnep diap netfo lartuen srebmem ,noitagitsevni deltitne ta era era ,rotartibra dna na a a noinU
s’tahw dezinoinu eht .stolip fo erom senil gnineppah rof gnola s’tahT s’atleD
eht eht laicos dias stolip fo fo fo deifiton aidem ti t’ndah rof enilpicsid snoisiced .tnetnoc retpahc neeb yna tuoba stoliP ,yadnoM eniL atleD noitaicossA sA riA
eud“ a“ noinu dlot ot eht eht .tnemetats nosrepsekops ”sthgir ssecorp erudecorp ytrap lartuen sedulcni ni raeh evah noitartibra-ecnaveirg rof ”,enilpicsid ediced tcartnoc yna dna dna a a riehT ,relliM neraK CJA
Delta flight attendants chant during pro-union flight attendants rally on Thursday, March 25, 2023, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Association of Flight Attendants has been working to unionize Delta for decades, despite three past failed votes. (Christina Matacotta for the AJC)
gnigru ot ot trats rewols tnes etatsnier .sessecorp htnom rettel tsal evitagitsevni mih seeyolpme dna detceffa a nosleN naitsaB
edam“ ew dlot ot siht eht taht ”.snoisnet ehs .tes tnedecerp evom ti si semalfni rof raelc eveileb dab dab osla a a ehS s’tI .atleD dnA CJA
nac“ uoy ,etisbew tnaw eht tluser ssecorp ton yam yhtgnel sti si ”.deetnaraug ecnaveirg detacilpmoc eb seugra noinu-itna dna dna nO atleD s’AFA
nepO“ tcilfnoC“ hcihw ot ot ot ot ot eht noitanimret gnidrager tneserp stniop .sreep lenap ro fo sreganam level sti rehgih seeyolpme enilpicsid s’ynapmoc esac laeppa dna na swolla wolla a a noituloseR ”,ssecorP ”yciloP tI rooD
nepO“ dluow ot kniht eht eht dias .tluser eusrup detpo ton ti eh eh t’ndid egnahc esuaceb ,laeppa ”yciloP remlaP rooD
.krow meht devres nees dias noituloser slenap no eh sah tcilfnoc dna eH
keew dlot .yfilauq tsal sih mih t’nseod esac atleD tuB
Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines flight attendant points to a vintage wooden sign at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. He acquired it when an employee lounge was being renovated at a New York airport and carried it home on the subway. Palmer was dismissed after posting a comment on social media about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
All options ‘open’
erom“ gnikrow eht eht naht ,noisnepsus ”detroppus dias noinU-orp shtnom tsuj eh eh sah dah thgilf wef yb neeb neeb stnadnetta oga .tsniaga a ecniS remlaP atleD
dluow tahw noinu eht llits ees syas noitcetorp otni etargetni woh .mih eh eh eh evah sah ,erutluc dluoc snrecnoc nac dedroffa tuoba elihW s’atleD AFA
snoitpo“ gniyrt ot eht .dias etarepo ”,nepo ,emitnaem lagel gnipeek ti si fi evah did tcartnoc sa dna lla a nosleN nI atleD AFA
,oot dias .snoitpo lagel si sih eh gnirolpxe ,remlaP
esoht llits gnikaeps dias ,trap no fo won ni s’eh flaheb ta eH .atleD
ot ot yeht yas dehcaer tuo snoinipo won mih evah sserpxe .seugaelloc era gnoma diarfa emoS
tuhs“ pu dlot ot meht ”.evres dias eh sah sleef ylevitceffe dna remlaP atleD
As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
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