In an era of liberal political and social dominance, it is not shocking that “cancel culture” has taken another victim—but the surprising part is that this cancellation came at the hands of the Right. Libs of TikTok exposed a Home Depot employee who posted on Facebook in support of the assassination attempt on President Trump’s life. She was subsequently fired by Home Depot.

The online reaction led to an intense debate. To no surprise, comment sections have produced heated exchanges, with arguments ranging from “I’m not gunna lie this is low to cancel a person that works minimum wage” and “I guess the RW is now pro cancel culture?” to “No way this woman should have a job at Home Depot or any company after this” and “She better be looking for a new job!!”

So, what is the answer: Should the Home Depot lady have lost her job? In a word, yes. The Home Depot lady presents a lesson for the Right in how to conduct political warfare. This instance is an important litmus test for conservatives.

Beginning in the mid-to-late 2010s, and continuing today, though with more resistance from the Right, liberal activists in the media have scoured the internet looking for anything they can use to cancel conservatives, young ones in particular. Remember the Covington Catholic story? The Left spared no one, no matter how low their position in life. Nick Sandmann, the high school student who smirked at a Native American banging a drum in his face, was ruthlessly persecuted for his political beliefs, without an ounce of mercy in sight. (Even some on the establishment Right joined in on the side of the cancellers.)

The argument here is not simply about revenge. Instead, one must understand the tactics of the Left. The only thing the Left responds to is power on its own terms. When the Left cancels a right-winger, they are taking away that person’s job, future, and ability to provide for his family. In a world in which the personal truly is political, not only is every social media post subject to public scrutiny, but every cancellation against the Right amounts to an attempt to remove one of our foot soldiers from the battlefield; someone who is involved in politics and cares enough to post about it.

The Home Depot lady is just as much a foot soldier of the Left as any conservative X user. This woman will never have a position of power or prominence, but she does play a role in propagating her beliefs to her family and community. Therefore, when she takes to social media to celebrate the attempted assassination of a president, there is no choice but to cancel her. If she is willing to follow the Left into battle, then she should expect to be treated as an enemy combatant.

Conservative friends of mine have asserted that we need to express a sense of charity toward this woman. After all, she is just trying to make ends meet like the rest of us. I sympathize with this position and would normally embrace it. In a better world, this would not have to happen. However, in war, mercy is the exception, not the rule. If the Right is already discussing mercy before the larger battle is won and bristles at taking even one casualty in the process, how can they be expected to amass and wield the power necessary to destroy—and, yes, cancel—powerful liberal figures and institutions?

Canceling the Home Depot lady signals several things to the Left. One is that the Right shows its willingness to fight fire with fire and match the Left’s tactics on their own terms. We will not submit to their cancellations but protect our own and attack theirs. Additionally, the only way for these overt cancellations to stop is for the Left to stand down; they started this, after all. Therefore, the Right must persist in cancelling those who publicly display immoral and obscene political behavior in the wake of the assassination attempt.

For the first time in a generation, the Right is on the cusp of an enormous electoral and cultural victory. It cannot be squandered over petty infighting at the expense of someone who believes our political leader should be killed.

“Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions,” G.K. Chesterton once wrote. In short, there should be no tolerance for supporting an attempt to kill former President Trump. While debate will persist as to what degree of public shame and consequences this woman should receive for her actions, the loss of her job is appropriate and proportional. Hopefully, she will delete her post and publicly apologize. However, anyone on the Right looking to give blanket pardons or spare her any kind of punishment, whether it is out of a lack of courage or a naive belief in free speech absolutism, is just as bad as the Left. It is time to enforce the idea that words have consequences.