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A Series Of Firings Over Comments About Charlie Kirk Have People Questioning “Freedom Of Speech”
Senior political analyst Matthew Dowdhas finally addressed his firing from MSNBC over his “horrendous” remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The 31-year-old political figure lost his life in a fatal attackwhile attending an event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
The analyst was let go after his on-air remarks were widely criticized for suggesting the activist’s assassination was a consequence of his own actions.
Highlights
- Matthew Dowd finally addressed his firing from MSNBC after calling Charlie Kirk’s assassination inevitable, sparking massive outrage.
- The analyst apologized on BlueSky, clarifying he never meant to blame the late activist for the “horrendous attack.”
- Meanwhile, firings of teachers, reporters, and even comic book writers sparked a heated debate over free speech.
- “How many people have you gotten fired today guys?” wrote one user online.
“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.”
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Matthew Dowd finally addressed his controversial comments about Charlie Kirk following his assassination
Image credits: Gage Skidmore / flickr
During a debate as part of Kirk’s American Comeback Tour at the university, he was hit in the neck by an assailant and did not survive the injury.
While reflecting on the attack and the “environment in which a sh**ting like this happens” with host Katy Tur, Dowd suggested that the late activist’s own “hateful thoughts” led to the tragedy.
“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.”
The remarks sparked massive online outrage and ultimately led to the news channel firing him shortly afterward.
Image credits: nrkbeta / flickr
The former chief strategist of George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign issued an apology on BlueSky.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Charlie Kirk.”
Kirk was assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University by an armed assailant
Image credits: therecount / X
Image credits: MSNBCPR / X
“On an earlier appearance on MSNBC I was asked a question on the environment we are in. I apologize for my tone and words,” his apology continued.
Further clarifying that his remarks on the “horrendous attack” were taken out of context, he emphasized that he was not blaming Charlie.
“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.”
Image credits: Trent Nelson / Getty Images
Shortly after Dowd’s apology, MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler issued a public statement, calling his words during the broadcast “inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable.”
“We apologize for his statements, as has he,” she added.
The political analyst issued a public apology for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments with his comments
Image credits: strictsignal / X
Matthew was not the only one to lose his job in the aftermath of the political tragedy.
A high school teacher at Greenville County School District in South Carolina, Wynne Boliek, was placed on temporary administrative leave over a controversial Facebook post.
Celebrating the assassination of Charlie, Boliek wrote, “Thoughts and prayers to his children but IMHO [in my honest opinion] America became greater today. There I said it.”
The post was widely shared across social media platforms and even picked up by notable figures such as U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and U.S. Rep. William Timmons.
Image credits: Bubblebathgirl / X
Image credits: bsky.app
The widespread attention and backlash prompted an investigation by district authorities, who “confirmed the inappropriate message was written by Mr. Boliek.”
A South Carolina teacher expressed on Facebook that Kirk’s passing made America “greater”
Image credits: Joe Kohen / Getty Images
“He is no longer employed with Greenville County Schools. We strongly condemn the message shared by the former employee as it does not reflect the standards we expect of our staff. We remain committed to upholding the values of professionalism and respect for our students, families, colleagues, and community.”
His removal was applauded by U.S. Rep Nancy, who praised the school for its swift action.
Image credits: charliekirk1776 / instagram
She wrote on X, “Thank you to [Greenville County Schools] for doing the right thing here. No teacher should ever celebrate the m**der of another human being.”
Netizens remain divided over the recent firings of people like Wynne and Matthew. Some supported the decisions, while others condemned the government for curbing people’s right to free speech.
One user commented, “I expect better judgement from a teacher. As my mother taught me, ‘If you have nothing good to say, keep your mouth shut.’”
Image credits: RepTimmons / X
Another wrote, “No wonder so many high school students have thoughtless ideas, they hear it from their teachers. Teach your subject teachers, don’t teach hatred.”
Meanwhile, one dissenting netizen argued, “The American pretense of free speech is laughable. Everybody is ‘entitled to free speech until their free speech doesn’t agree with your free speech.’”
People lost their jobs across the country over negative opinions about the conservative activist’s attack
Image credits: FBISaltLakeCity / X
Scores of individuals across the country lost their jobs following the 31-year-old’s untimely passing due to their controversial opinions on the matter.
A Florida reporter was suspended, while CBS News’ morning show reporter Burleson faced online backlash for asking on-air questions about political violence.
Meanwhile, two teachers in Mississippi and Tennessee were fired for posting “insensitive comments” on social media.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ education commissioner even warned all teachers in the state that making “disgusting” statements about Kirk’s assassination would result in suspension and license cancellation.
Image credits: Newseum / flickr
In the entertainment industry, DC Comics announced the discontinuation of a Batman spinoff series, Red Hood.
The decision came after the writer, Gretchen Felker-Martin, made “offensive” comments about Charlie.
“Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct,” the publisher wrote online.
“Basically, he lost his job for speaking his mind,” wrote one social media user
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Jrog 2 months ago (edited)
"Having an armed citizenry comes with a price, and that is part of liberty... But I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights." Charlie Kirk
Jrog 2 months ago
Let these sink in with the idiot conservatives that quip about "accountability" and "the damage done by his words"
Load More Replies...
Jack Smith 2 months ago
Wonder if he still felt like death and violence are a small price to pay in order to protect (his interpretation of) the second amendment as he was bleeding out do to a gunshot wound? 😘 "Guns are awesome! Prove me wrong!" Lol
Jrog 2 months ago (edited)
"Having an armed citizenry comes with a price, and that is part of liberty... But I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights." Charlie Kirk
Jrog 2 months ago
Let these sink in with the idiot conservatives that quip about "accountability" and "the damage done by his words"
Load More Replies... Jack Smith 2 months ago
Wonder if he still felt like death and violence are a small price to pay in order to protect (his interpretation of) the second amendment as he was bleeding out do to a gunshot wound? 😘 "Guns are awesome! Prove me wrong!" Lol
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