The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, prompted widespread condemnation of political violence from across the political spectrum. However, MSNBC’s coverage of the incident has drawn significant criticism for its timing and approach, particularly comments made by political analyst Matthew Dowd during the network’s breaking news coverage.

Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was shot during an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University while taking questions from students. President Trump later confirmed Kirk’s death on Truth Social, calling him “great and even legendary”.

During MSNBC’s coverage of the developing story, host Katy Tur described Kirk as a “divisive figure” and “polarizing lightning rod” before bringing in contributor Matthew Dowd for analysis of the broader political environment.

During the segment, Dowd made remarks linking Kirk’s rhetoric to the shooting, stating that Kirk had been “one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures” who was “constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech, or sort of aimed at certain groups”. Read more below