Matthew Dowd Is Fired by MSNBC After Saying Charlie Kirk’s Rhetoric Helped Create a Violent Environment

11 September 2025

Matthew Dowd (left); Charlie Kirk (right). Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Andrew Harnik/Getty

Political analyst Matthew Dowd is no longer working with MSNBC after controversial remarks he made in the wake of the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. During a broadcast segment on MSNBC Live with Katy Tur, Dowd was asked about the broader atmosphere in America and responded by saying that hateful thoughts, words, and speech aimed at certain groups help create an environment that makes violence more likely. He called Kirk “one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures” and suggested Kirk’s own past rhetoric played a role in inflaming tension.

The reaction was swift. Many on social media criticized Dowd’s remarks as insensitive or even blaming the victim. Within hours, MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler issued a statement calling his comments “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.” She emphasized that there is no place in the media, or in America, for political violence.

Dowd followed with a public apology posted on the social platform BlueSky. He wrote that he regretted his tone and choice of words. He insisted that he did not intend to blame Charlie Kirk for the shooting. He also expressed sympathy for Kirk’s family and called for the condemnation of violence of all kinds.

For MSNBC the episode ended with the network severing ties with Dowd. Variety, Deadline, and The Wall Street Journal all reported that Dowd was dismissed after the incident, confirming that he is no longer affiliated with the network.

The context of all this is the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was shot Thursday, September 10, during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. He was 31. Following his death, national conversation surged over political violence, free speech, and the risks facing public figures who speak in highly charged contexts. Dowd’s comments touched directly on those concerns.

Observers noted the irony and danger in suggesting that rhetorical environments contribute to violence shortly after a real act of violence. Many argued that while public discourse should be accountable, it is dangerous to imply that victims bear some responsibility for actions taken by others. Others defended Dowd’s comments as an attempt to grapple with how political culture interacts with extremism and violence.

Dowd is no stranger to political controversy. He previously served as a strategist in the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, worked for years as a political analyst at ABC News, and had joined MSNBC in 2022. His firing marks a rare instance where an analyst loses their platform so quickly after comments made during breaking news coverage.

Within MSNBC, the decision to fire Dowd appears to be part of a broader effort to control public reaction to the shooting and protect the network’s reputation. Kurtler’s apology and Dowd’s own statement suggest a recognition that public trust is fragile when critics perceive that a network is allowing or making space for statements that might look like victim-blaming.

As of now the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s death is ongoing. No motive has been officially confirmed. Meanwhile, the public conversation continues around how political speech, media framing, and personal accountability intersect. The Dowd firing may be remembered as a punctuation mark in this moment a reminder of how quickly commentary becomes part of controversy, especially in an age of political polarization.