MSNBC fired senior political analyst Matthew Dowd on Wednesday hours after he made widely criticized comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to multiple reports.
Speaking after the shooting, but before it was reported that Kirk had died, MSNBC host Katy Tur asked Dowd about the “environment” in which violence such as this can take place.
“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 sort of aimed at certain groups,” Dowd said of Kirk, adding:
“And I always go back to: Hateful thoughts, lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that’s the environment we’re 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’re in.”
His comments were condemned online, especially by figures on the right, causing MSNBC to trend on X amid a growing call for Dowd to be fired.
