• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Flipboard
• Comments
• Print
• Email
• Add Fox News on Google

MSNBC analyst fired for comments made during coverage of Charlie Kirk shooting

Fox News correspondent Christina Coleman reports on political analyst Matthew Dowd's firing by MSNBC for inappropriate comments during coverage of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's shooting.

An unusual media saga unfolded in 2025 when MSNBC fired political analyst Matthew Dowd in September for suggesting "hateful" rhetoric from Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk led to his own assassination.

Kirk, a leading conservative activist and top ally of President Donald Trump, died at the age of 31 after he was shot while holding an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. In a stunning moment, Dowd suggested that Kirk’s assassination was caused by a chain reaction from his "hateful words" against various groups.

Dowd said Kirk has been "one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions."

MSNBC FIRES ANALYST MATTHEW DOWD FOR 'UNACCEPTABLE' COMMENTS ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK

MSNBC fired political analyst Matthew Dowd for suggesting "hateful" rhetoric from Charlie Kirk led to his own assassination. (Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images)

"I think that’s the environment we’re in, that the people just — you can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have, and then saying these awful words, and not expect awful actions to take place. And that's the unfortunate environment we're in," he added.

Before the news that Kirk had died, Dowd also told host Katy Tur, "We don’t know any of the full details of this yet. We don’t know if this was a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration."

MSNBC, which has since been rebranded as MS NOW, publicly condemned Dowd's comments before he was officially terminated. 

"During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable," MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler said in a statement. "We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise."

Dowd's comments were widely condemned in the wake of the tragic shooting, with numerous figures calling for his termination. White House staffers were even enraged by Dowd's comments. 

"They are scumbags. They need to look inward and realize they are hurting this nation with their awful rhetoric," a senior Trump administration official told Fox News Digital in reaction to the MSNBC segment. 

CHARLIE KIRK ROSE TO BECOME CONSERVATIVE POWERHOUSE, TRANSFORMATIVE CAMPUS FIGURE

Matthew Dowd appears on MSNBC on July 26, 2024. (Screenshot/MSNBC)

Dowd, who joined MSNBC in 2022 after a long stint at ABC News, tried to backtrack on the liberal social media platform Bluesky.

"On an earlier appearance on MSNBC I was asked a question on the environment we are in. I apologize for my tone and words. Let me be clear, I in no way intended for my comments to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack. Let us all come together and condemn violence of any kind," Dowd wrote.

Dowd, a Democrat who was formerly a Republican strategist and an independent, is one of the most rabidly anti-GOP voices on cable news. He made a failed bid for the Democratic nomination for Texas lieutenant governor in 2021. Since ABC News showed him the door, Dowd has since launched a Substack and has defended his remarks. 

"At MSNBC I have made nearly 1,000 appearances, speaking on a diverse range of topics and always consistently condemned gun violence and political violence of any kind no matter where it came from. This past Wednesday I was asked to come on to talk about a range of topics, and as I was about to go on air, breaking news happened of gun shots being fired at a Kirk event in Utah," Dowd wrote in a Substack post.

COMCAST EXECUTIVES SCOLD STAFFERS TO ‘DO BETTER’ OVER MSNBC COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION

Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist who led Turning Point USA. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)

"Keep in mind when the anchor came to me to comment on the ‘national environment,’ the only thing known at the time was shots were fired and there was no reporting yet that Kirk was the target or had been shot at," he continued. "I said in the moment that we needed to get the facts because we have no idea what this could be and that it could easily be someone firing a gun in the air to celebrate the event. Remember Kirk is a diehard advocate of the 2nd amendment." 

Dowd added: "I said my now legendary line ‘hateful thoughts lead to hateful words which ultimately lead to hateful actions.’ I thought to myself how could anyone disagree with this. I guess I was naïve… the Right-Wing media mob ginned up, went after me on a plethora of platforms, and MSNBC reacted to that mob."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

• ·女子用AI做流浪汉闯入家中照片骗老公 官方提醒：可能违法
• ·2023年河北卷高考作文题目：材料作文
• ·热血猎人兑换码怎么获得 热血猎人兑换码免费领取2024大全
• ·闪烁之光可以无限连抽礼包码是什么 2024无限连抽礼包码汇总
• ·《山谷王冠的影子》PC版下载 Steam正版分流下载
• ·凯迪拉克回归美巡 赞助特朗普球场$2000万顶流赛事 特朗普
• ·中国女排奥运名单意外吗？情理之中预料之外
• ·日厂明年世界首次展出科技人工合成《生化危机》T病毒
• ·Windows 10停止支持：反带动苹果Mac销量大增
• ·研究机构预估台湾2026年经济增速放缓至3.71%
• ·广东又要降温了？弱冷空气降温效果不大
• ·广东又要降温了？弱冷空气降温效果不大
• ·“玩家根本不想看教程！”日本游戏界大佬激烈讨论
• ·在职研究生报名流程
• ·【战局指南Vol.3】“罪孽系统”与装备道具
• ·“中国好人”杨传武：爱心助困显大义