MSNBC Fires Political Analyst Matthew Dowd After Feedback On Charlie Kirk’s Dying
MSNBC formally lower ties with senior political analyst Matthew Dowd after he sparked outrage with remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s tragic dying. Throughout a stay phase on Katy Tur Stories, Dowd advised that Kirk’s radical rhetoric might need contributed to the surroundings that led to his violent finish.
Kirk, who was simply 31, was fatally shot throughout a Q&A session at Utah Valley College the place he was kicking off a nationwide campus debate tour. His assassination shook political circles throughout the nation. Learn extra on our protection of Kirk’s assassination right here.Dowd instructed the MSNBC viewers:
“Hateful ideas result in hateful phrases, which then result in hateful actions. You’ll be able to’t cease with these kind of terrible ideas you’ve gotten after which saying these terrible phrases after which not count on terrible actions to happen.”
The feedback instantly caught hearth on-line, with critics accusing Dowd of being “insensitive” whereas supporters claimed he was solely stating a much bigger cultural reality.
Charlie Kirk’s Legacy And Why Dowd’s Remarks Hit A Nerve
Charlie Kirk was no stranger to controversy. Because the founding father of Turning Level USA, he constructed a platform round right-wing provocations and unapologetic nationalism. His rhetoric usually focused marginalized teams together with Muslims, ladies, the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and other people of colour. For his supporters, Kirk represented unapologetic conservative values. For his critics, he embodied divisive, dangerous speech.
That’s what made Dowd’s commentary sting so deeply. As a substitute of focusing solely on the tragedy of Kirk’s assassination, Dowd framed the incident in a wider dialog about hateful rhetoric fueling hateful motion. This method blurred the road between evaluation and insensitivity.
He even speculated additional through the stay phase, saying: “We don’t know if this was a supporter taking pictures their gun off in celebration. So we do not know about this.”
This comment particularly triggered backlash as many noticed it as reckless hypothesis throughout an lively investigation.
MSNBC Points Apology And Cuts Ties With Matthew Dowd
Inside hours, MSNBC executives scrambled to comprise the fallout. Community president Rebecca Kutler launched a press release calling Dowd’s remarks “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.”“We apologize for his statements, as has he,” Kutler mentioned. “There isn’t any place for violence in America, political or in any other case.”
By the top of the day, the community introduced Dowd’s firing, confirming to shops like Deadline that his contract had been terminated.
