MSNBC severs ties with Matthew Dowd over Charlie Kirk comments
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- MSNBC has fired political analyst Matthew Dowd after he suggested that Charlie Kirk’s “hateful” rhetoric contributed to the activist’s murder.
- Dowd’s comments during breaking news coverage sparked immediate backlash on social media for appearing to blame Kirk for his own death.
- The network issued an apology, calling Dowd’s remarks “inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable” before severing ties with the longtime contributor.
Political analyst Matthew Dowd lost his contributor role at MSNBC because of comments he made about Charlie Kirk after the young right-wing activist was killed Wednesday.
Shortly after Kirk was shot to death while speaking on stage at Utah Valley State University, Dowd told MSNBC anchor Katy Tur that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words which then lead to hateful actions.”
Kirk, a Trump ally and leading voice for the far right, was fatally shot while speaking to hundreds of people at Utah Valley University.
The angry reaction on social media was immediate after Dowd’s comments suggested that Kirk’s history of incendiary remarks led to the shooting.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler issued an apology Wednesday night.
“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable,” Kutler said in a statement. “There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”
Elex Michaelson, a leading political journalist in California, left Fox station KTTV last month.
The network then severed ties with Dowd, according to a person briefed on the decision who was not authorized to comment.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Charlie Kirk,” Dowd later wrote on his Bluesky account. “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.”
Dowd is a political consultant who served as the chief strategist for George W. Bush’s successful 2004 presidential reelection campaign. Dowd broke away from the Republican Party due to his unhappiness with Bush’s handling of the Iraq war.
Dowd previously served as a political analyst for ABC News.
