MSNBC has fired political analyst Matthew Dowd from the network following the comments he made about Charlie Kirk in the wake of the Utah Valley University shooting, Variety reported, citing insider sources. Kirk was shot in the neck during a Utah rally on Wednesday afternoon and was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
"You can't stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place," Dowd, who most recently ran as a Democrat for Texas lieutenant governor, said moments after the shooting on Wednesday. "That's the unfortunate environment we're in," he added.
In Bad Taste
MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler moved quickly to contain the fallout after Dowd's remarks sparked backlash on social media. "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 on X after the segment.
"We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise," Kutler said.
By Wednesday evening, the network decided to cut ties with Dowd for his "insensitive" remarks, sources told Variety.
During the segment, he even speculated — in a bizarre suggestion — that a supporter might have accidentally killed Kirk by firing a gun in "celebration."
"We don't know if this was a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration," Dowd told Tur.
"We have no idea," he told the lefty network. "We don't know any of the full details of this."
Dowd, who joined MSNBC in 2022 after a long run at ABC News, later issued an apology for the remarks that led to his firing.
"My thoughts & prayers are w/ the family and friends of Charlie Kirk," Dowd said. "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."
A Sad Day
Kirk was shot dead on stage on Wednesday afternoon while leading a Q&A session during his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Witnesses say he had just started responding to a question about mass shootings involving transgender people when a bullet struck him in the neck from nearly 200 yards away. The sudden gunfire sent the packed crowd of thousands into chaos, according to sources and a wave of posts on social media.
A chilling video from the scene shows Kirk jolting backward, clutching his neck in pain as the sound of a single gunshot echoed through the crowd.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery, but he ultimately didn't survive his devastating injuries.
Authorities confirmed that Kirk's killer is still on the loose. Earlier reports had claimed a suspect was in custody, but police later corrected that information.
