An MSNBC analyst is unemployed today, and the world is a better place because of it.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday during a student Q&A at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
A bullet struck Kirk in his neck as he took questions from students. In the moments after the assassination, MSNBC turned to Katy Tur for live coverage, but she had nothing of substance to offer.
Tur asked analyst Matthew Dowd, “Talk to me about the environment in which a shooting like this happens.”
Dowd answered by speculating Kirk might have been shot by a conservative in “celebration” – as if we all fire off our guns like we live in Kabul.
The despicable ghouls at MSNBC immediately attack Charlie Kirk in wake of shooting — Matthew Dowd blames Kirk’s pushing “hate speech” as reason he was shot:
“I always go back to hateful thoughts, lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”
“You can’t stop with… pic.twitter.com/Js2uESSZdQ
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) September 10, 2025
“Yeah, and again I emphasize what you just emphasized, we don’t know any full details of that we don’t know if this was a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration, or so we have no idea about this,” he said.
He quickly pivoted to blaming Kirk for his own death.
Dowd called Kirk “one of the most divisive, especially divisive, younger figures.”
Was firing Dowd enough or should MSNBC continue firing “talent” who sullied Kirk’s good name?
He claimed Kirk was “constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech” and added, “I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”
Dowd added that, in his estimation, the country was in an environment where “you can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have, and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions take place.”
Tur did not challenge him. She actually allowed him to suggest that free speech brought on Kirk’s death.
By Wednesday evening, MSNBC scrambled to apologize.
MSNBC Public Relations wrote on X, “Statement from MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler: ‘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.’”
Statement from MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler: “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…
— MSNBC Public Relations (@MSNBCPR) September 10, 2025
The words were not enough.
They were only born out of backlash, which was bipartisan, immediate, and deserved – but didn’t rise to the moment.
The hole Dowd dug MSNBC into was so great that even the network heads apparently saw that a bigger move was necessary. Variety reported that Dowd was quickly fired.
So now that Dowd is gone, so too is his run as a mouthpiece for the DNC.
For all his bluster about civility in recent years on the network, he proved himself so grotesque in the moment. He was so bad that even the worst of cable news couldn’t retain him.
He couldn’t let Kirk’s assassination stand without smearing him, and now he’s out of a job.
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