MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler has issued an apology for analyst Matthew Dowd’s remarks during coverage of the shooting of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.
“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” Kulter said in a statement shared to the MSNBC Public Relations X account. “We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”
During their coverage of Kirk’s shooting, MSNBC anchor Katy Tur asked Dowd about “the environment in which a shooting like this happens.” Dowd responded with the following about Kirk: “He’s 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. And I think that is the environment we are in. 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 are in.”
Tur also faced online backlash for suggesting that Donald Trump is going to use the shooting of Kirk as “justification for something.”
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In a post to his personal account on BlueSky, Dowd issued his own apology for his commentary, saying “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.”
Kirk died on Wednesday after he was shot at a college event in Utah. He was 31 years old.
Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to Kirk’s death, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
From Variety US