Matthew Dowd Rips MSNBC For Caving To a ‘Right Wing Media Mob’ In Firing Him Over Kirk Commentary
MSNBC
Political pundit Matthew Dowd, who was fired from MSNBC over comments he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, blamed the network for caving to a “Right Wing media mob.”
Dowd was widely criticized for “blaming” Kirk for his own assassination, when he said Kirk has been “one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech.”
“And I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” Dowd continued. “You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have, and then saying these awful words, and then not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”
In a new Substack article, Dowd wrote, “I would like to explain in some detail what happened.”
Dowd continued:
This past Wednesday I was asked to come on to talk about a range of topics, and as I was about to go on air, breaking news happened of gun shots being fired at a Kirk event in Utah.
Keep in mind when the anchor came to me to comment on the “national environment” the only thing known at the time was shots were fired and there was no reporting yet that Kirk was the target or had been shot at. I said in the moment that we needed to get the facts because we have no idea what this could be and that it could easily be someone firing a gun in the air to celebrate the event. Remember Kirk is a diehard advocate of the 2nd amendment.
I said that Kirk has been a very divisive and polarizing figure. I then added that we are in a toxic time in America, unlike every other democracy in the world, where we have a combination of divisiveness and near unlimited access to guns.
…
The Right Wing media mob ginned up, went after me on a plethora of platforms, and MSNBC reacted to that mob. Even though most at MSNBC knew my words were being misconstrued, the timing of my words forgotten (remember I said this before anyone knew Kirk was a target), and that I apologized for any miscommunication on my part, I was terminated by the end of the day.
Dowd wrote that he plans to use his voice on Substack and other platforms “to advocate for finding ways to unite our country around a common-sense vision of ideals and values.”
In announcing Dowd’s firing, MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler apologized.
“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” Kutler said in a statement on Wednesday. “We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”
