Fired analyst Matthew Dowd claims MSNBC 'reacted' to 'right-wing media mob'

Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News on Sep 12, 2025

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In today’s media landscape, calling a thing a thing will get you fired — at least according to former MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd, who was let go from the network earlier this week following on-air comments about the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

Amid the breaking news the conservative activist had been shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, MSNBC anchor Katy Tur asked Dowd about “the environment in which a shooting like this happens.”

He responded, in part, that Kirk had “been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures … who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech.”

“Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” Dowd added. “And I think that is the environment we are in. You can’t … [say] these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place.”

In response to the outrage his comments sparked, MSNBC issued an apology, describing Dowd’s remarks as “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” and announced he’d been dismissed.

On Friday, Dowd broke his silence about being unceremoniously dumped by the left-leaning network, explaining that when he responded to Tur’s question, it was only known that shots had been fired, not that Kirk had been killed.

“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,” Dowd wrote in a post to Substack titled, “A Time to See With New Eyes.”

“The right-wing media mob ginned up, went after me on a plethora of platforms and MSNBC reacted to that mob,” he continued. “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.”

Others who have lost their jobs for commenting on Kirk’s assassination include Carolina Panthers PR employee Charlie Rock, NBA reporter Gerald Bourguet, Middle Tennessee State University Dean Laura Sosh-Lightsy and an unidentified U.S. Marine Corps recruiter, who allegedly referred to the Turning Point USA founder as “racist.”

In New York, longtime community advocate Tony Herbert was fired from his six-figure salary in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration for critical comments made about Kirk’s death.