Network Apologises After Matthew Dowd Suggests Conservative ‘Asked For It’ Whilst Democrats Reject Prayer
Deranged reactions from some liberals celebrating the murder of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk have sparked widespread outrage, with an MSNBC analyst losing his job after appearing to blame the victim for his own assassination at Utah Valley University.
The shocking responses emerged within hours of Kirk being shot in the neck during a student event on Wednesday, ranging from social media users comparing him to Adolf Hitler to a television commentator suggesting his “hateful words” led to his death.
MSNBC was forced into damage control after political analyst Matthew Dowd made what the network called “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable” comments during breaking news coverage of the shooting. The network’s president, Rebecca Kutler, issued a public apology before Dowd was reportedly fired from his position.
MSNBC Analyst Blames Victim
During live coverage of the shooting, MSNBC host Katy Tur asked Dowd to discuss “the environment in which a shooting like this happens,” describing Kirk as “a divisive figure, polarising, lightning rod.”
Dowd’s response shocked viewers when he suggested Kirk had brought the violence upon himself. “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,” Dowd said on air.
The analyst continued: “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.”
Even more bizarrely, Dowd speculated that the fatal shooting might have been “a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration,” despite Kirk being struck by a single, targeted bullet to the neck.
The comments triggered immediate backlash across social media, with critics calling the remarks “disgusting” and “vile.” Within hours, MSNBC president Kutler issued a statement condemning Dowd’s words and apologising to viewers. By Wednesday evening, network sources confirmed Dowd had been terminated from his position.
House Democrats Reject Prayer
The callous reactions weren’t limited to media commentary. On the House floor, chaos erupted when several Democratic lawmakers refused to participate in a spoken prayer for Kirk and his family.
After Speaker Mike Johnson led a moment of silence, Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert requested a spoken prayer for the slain activist. Her request was met with audible objections from Democratic colleagues, with approximately a dozen shouting “No!” in unison.
One unidentified Democrat pointed to the Evergreen High School shooting in Colorado that had occurred earlier the same day, asking why no prayers had been offered for those victims. Another lawmaker shouted, “Pass some gun laws!”
The rejection triggered an explosive response from Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna, who screamed across the aisle: “Y’all caused this! You f***ing own this!” Johnson was forced to repeatedly bang his gavel to restore order to the chamber.
Vile Social Media Celebrations
Across social media platforms, particularly on sites like TikTok and BlueSky, some users openly celebrated Kirk’s death with shocking callousness. The reactions ranged from crude mockery to explicit endorsements of violence.
“I’m not saying Charlie Kirk deserved to be shot, but I think enablers to paedophiles should be shot, too,” wrote one left-leaning social media user, making unfounded accusations against the deceased.
Multiple TikTokers created videos mocking the tragedy, with one user posting a video of themselves mock crying whilst dramatic music played, captioned: “Charlie Kirk got s**t? Awwww.”
Another user posted: “Hitler giving Charlie Kirk a tour in hell,” accompanied by a GIF from a television programme. One particularly vile comment read: “A fing Nazi. And you know what kind of Nazi is the best Nazi? A dead one. Thank God that sstain of a person is no longer in this world.”
Mocking Constitutional Rights
Many critics seized upon Kirk’s previous defence of Second Amendment rights to mock his death. “Why didn’t Charlie Kirk just debate the bullet? He would have easily deflected,” one user wrote, referencing Kirk’s famous campus debates.
Others made cruel jokes about gun violence: “If he doesn’t make it at least he died with the love of his life, school shootings,” wrote one user. Another posted “Hollow Point USA,” parodying Kirk’s organisation Turning Point USA.
On BlueSky, where many progressives migrated after Elon Musk’s acquisition of X, users posted equally disturbing content. “This wouldn’t have happened if Charlie Kirk had been armed,” one user wrote mockingly. Another stated: “And now we sit back and watch Republicans ignore the school shooting today while loudly mourning Charlie Kirk.”
Calls for Content Removal
The graphic video of Kirk’s assassination, showing him being shot in the neck whilst speaking to students, quickly went viral across social media platforms. Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna called on tech giants to remove the footage.
“I am calling on @elonmusk, @finkd, and @tiktok_us to remove the horrifying videos of Charlie Kirk’s murder,” Luna posted on X. “He has a family, young children, and no one should be forced to relive this tragedy online.”
Bipartisan Condemnation
Despite the shocking reactions from some quarters, political leaders from both parties largely united in condemning the violence. California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” whilst former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described it as “reprehensible” and stated that “political violence has absolutely no place in our nation.”
Even Senator Bernie Sanders, often at odds with Kirk’s conservative views, denounced the shooting as “horrifying” and urged Americans to reject political violence. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden also issued statements condemning the assassination.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot whilst answering student questions about mass shootings at Utah Valley University. The father of two, who founded Turning Point USA at age 18, was known for his fierce debates with university students and his close alliance with President Trump. He leaves behind his wife Erika and two young children.
The manhunt for Kirk’s killer continued late into Wednesday night after an initial suspect was released from custody. President Trump has vowed to find “each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity” and blamed “radical left” rhetoric for creating a climate of political violence.
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