MSNBC Fires Analyst After Comments Made Following Shooting

By
Billy Costigan
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In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, one would think that even the most hardened political operatives in media could find it within themselves to show restraint, decency, or at the very least, silence.


But for MSNBC’s Matthew Dowd, the instinct wasn’t compassion. It wasn’t unity. It was blame — aimed not at the assassin, but at Kirk himself.


Appearing on air as breaking news of the shooting unfolded, Dowd mused aloud whether the gunfire was simply a “supporter shooting their gun off in celebration” before labeling Kirk “divisive” and accusing him of spreading “hate speech.”


Then, in the kind of pseudo-philosophical ramble that passes for insight in today’s media class, Dowd declared that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.” The implication was clear: Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric was the cause of his own death.

It was indecent. It was grotesque. And it was, thankfully, the end of Dowd’s tenure at MSNBC.

By Thursday, MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler issued a statement: “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.” Hours later, Dowd was gone — fired.


Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a slip of the tongue. This was the mask dropping. Dowd is a man who has made a career out of trashing conservatives, trading his past life as a Republican strategist for the lucrative gig of being an anti-GOP zealot.


He’s one of cable’s go-to talking heads for the narrative that conservatives are hateful, dangerous, and responsible for every sin in public life. And in Kirk’s death, he found the perfect canvas for that narrative — until public outrage forced MSNBC’s hand.


Dowd tried to salvage his reputation afterward on Bluesky, claiming he hadn’t meant to “blame Kirk” and offering a half-hearted apology. But the damage was done. You don’t get to walk back the suggestion that a 31-year-old father of two “invited” an assassin’s bullet because he dared to defend the unborn, challenge gender ideology, or criticize failed COVID policy.


Even the White House, normally happy to ignore or even encourage attacks on conservatives, was reportedly enraged. A senior Trump official told Fox News Digital: “They are scumbags. They need to look inward and realize they are hurting this nation with their awful rhetoric.”

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