OAN Staff Sophia Flores
9:47 PM – Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Former political analyst Matthew Dowd has been fired from MSNBC following comments he made about Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. On live television, Dowd alluded that Kirk’s “hateful” rhetoric lead to his assassination.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler made a statement from the network’s PR X account which only has 20,000 followers, acknowledging that his comments were “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.” The network subsequently announced that he was “no longer with” the company.
“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable. We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”
While discussing Kirk on-air, Dowd was asked by anchor Katy Tur about the kinds of environments that lead to such shootings. The now-fired analyst suggested that there was a link between Kirk’s words and political violence, essentially blaming Kirk for his own death.
“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,” he stated. “And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”
“I think that is the environment we are in,” he added. “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.”
During the news segment, Dowd even went as far as to joke that the assassin “could have been a supporter shooting in celebration.”
Dowd released an apology after his appearance on MSNBC.
“My thoughts & prayers are w/ the family and friends of Charlie Kirk,” he 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,” he wrote. “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.”
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