what did matthew dowd say about charlie kirk

Matthew Dowd said about Charlie Kirk that Kirk had been "one of the most polarizing, particularly among younger individuals, constantly promoting hate speech directed at specific groups." Dowd stated on MSNBC during breaking news coverage of the shooting incident involving Kirk that "hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions," reflecting on the toxic political and social environment in America. Dowd emphasized that one should not harbor hateful thoughts and express them through words without anticipating hateful actions to follow. He made these remarks before it was confirmed that Kirk was the victim of the shooting and acknowledged later that his comments were misinterpreted and apologized for his tone and words, clarifying that he did not intend to blame Kirk for the attack. Dowd was subsequently fired by MSNBC due to the backlash from his comments, with the network calling his statements inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable during a highly sensitive breaking news event.