Howard Kurtz Analyzes Media Coverage of Charlie Kirk Assassination at Utah Valley University
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Howard Kurtz Analyzes Media Coverage of Charlie Kirk Assassination at Utah Valley University
Howard Kurtz examines how media outlets responded to the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot at Utah Valley University. The discussion explores whether the media is politicizing the tragedy, the role of extreme rhetoric on both sides, and questions about radicalization in American political discourse. Kurtz is joined by Sarah Bedford of the Washington Examiner and Charlie Gasparino of Fox Business Network to dissect the coverage, the immediate aftermath, and what this says about violence in American political life.
September 14, 2025
A National Tragedy Unfolds
Howard Kurtz opened his "MediaBuzz" segment describing the assassination of Charlie Kirk as a national tragedy and horrifying political assassination, representing the latest evidence of a country dangerously awash in targeted violence. Kirk, the 31-year-old charismatic leader of Turning Point USA and described as the most influential conservative activist in the country, was shot at Utah Valley University. The murder came in the wake of two attempts on Donald Trump's life the previous year.
Just before the bullet was fired at Kirk, the subject being discussed was mass shootings. The irony of the moment was not lost on observers as Kirk had been engaged in the very activity he championed: open debate and free speech on a college campus.
Presidential Response and Political Fallout
The President addressed the nation in a White House video, expressing anger and calling for accountability. He stated it was long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree, day after day, year after year.
However, as Democrats joined in denouncing the murder, MSNBC senior political analyst Matthew Dowd attacked Kirk, calling him one of the most divisive younger figures who constantly pushed hate speech aimed at certain groups. Dowd stated that hateful thoughts lead to hateful words which then lead to hateful actions. MSNBC's president later apologized for Dowd's comments, calling them insensitive and unacceptable, before firing him. The statement read: "Matthew Dowd made comments that were insensitive and unacceptable. We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise."
Reactions Across the Political Spectrum
Elon Musk immediately engaged in what Kurtz called "guilt by association," tweeting that the left is the party of murder. Other commentators questioned whether there needs to be more shame introduced into American cultural life and fewer silos where people only talk to those who agree with them.
One voice emphasized: "I think I disagreed with him on just about every policy question. But until the end of time, every last one of us should defend his right to safely and securely on any campus in the United States of America or anywhere advocate that which he believed in politically."
Another perspective highlighted Kirk's status: "Charlie wasn't president, he wasn't even a politician. He was a young political star defending American freedoms, especially the freedom of speech. And if guys like Charlie are targets for assassination, we all are."
Fox News Mourns One of Their Own
Kirk had close relationships with many at Fox News. He had even cohosted "Fox & Friends" Weekend in July, where he discussed how the patriotic revival is being led by the youngest Americans. One Fox host recalled: "I knew him as a teenager and watched him become a grown man with two beautiful children, his wife, and he died doing a very American thing, a First Amendment thing. He was a uniter, not a divider."
The emotional toll was evident as one host shared: "Bret, you came into my office about 20 minutes ago, and I was bawling, and so many of us are beyond devastated, as I know you are."
During an appearance on "Fox & Friends," the President broke news about the case, stating with a high degree of certainty that they had the suspect in custody, explaining that someone very close to the suspect had turned him in.
Media Analysis: Politicizing Tragedy
Kurtz convened a panel to analyze the coverage, featuring Sarah Bedford from the Washington Examiner and Charlie Gasparino, senior correspondent at Fox Business Network. Kurtz noted that while he never mentions the names of these perpetrators because they crave attention, the question remained whether some in the media were politicizing this by blaming the left or liberal lunatics for the actions of someone obviously insane.
Bedford argued that all available evidence related to the suspect suggests this was a person radicalized by leftist ideology. She emphasized that if the media is going to have an honest conversation about radicalization, it has to be acknowledged that extremism isn't necessarily evenly distributed across the political spectrum and that the left does have a radicalization problem that has not been spoken about proportionally compared to extremism on the right.
Historical Context of Political Violence
Gasparino provided historical perspective, recalling political violence from the 1960s including the assassinations of RFK and Martin Luther King Jr. He emphasized that political violence has existed on both sides for many years. However, he pointed to what he sees as a critical media story: that MSNBC's president said Dowd's comments were "inappropriate" but didn't say "inaccurate."
Gasparino argued that it is mainstream progressive thought that what people like Charlie Kirk stand for is characterized as fringe, hateful, and divisive. He noted: "He's pretty main street, Charlie Kirk. Yet it is common thought, accepted as common knowledge in progressive circles, particularly in progressive media, that he is a fringe character who is hateful and divisive."
The Blame Game and Motivations
Kurtz expressed his frustration with what he called "the blame game," citing historical examples where blame was misattributed: Bill Clinton blamed Rush Limbaugh for the Oklahoma City bombing, the New York Times blamed Sarah Palin for having a map with crosshairs in connection to the Gabby Giffords shooting, and the man who badly wounded Steve Scalise was a Rachel Maddow viewer. Kurtz questioned whether there is too much finger pointing, arguing that anyone who would do this or shoot up a classroom full of young children is obviously mentally diseased.
Bedford countered that while the perpetrator was certainly unbalanced, the motivations are hugely important to understanding what happened and preventing it from happening again. She emphasized that all available evidence suggests this person was radicalized by an ideology on the left that is becoming increasingly mainstream, pointing to Democratic rhetoric suggesting Donald Trump is Hitler, his followers are Nazis, and they need to be stopped by any means necessary.
Collective Guilt and Inflammatory Rhetoric
Kurtz pushed back on Elon Musk's tweet that "we either fight back or they will kill us," expressing concern that the idea that anybody who's liberal or progressive bears some sort of collective guilt bothered him. He noted reporting about writing on bullet casings, with one saying "Hey, fascist," though he cautioned about unverified claims regarding transgender-related writing, while Fox News Digital had reported that the suspect's roommate is a transgender person.
Gasparino made a distinction between how Republican and Democratic establishments handle extreme rhetoric from their respective sides. He argued that in Republican circles, they do not embrace the rhetoric of the far right, citing how many Republicans condemned Trump's actions on January 6th. He contrasted this with what he sees as the Democratic establishment's acceptance of extreme anti-Trump rhetoric, noting that opposition to Trump was called "the resistance" on mainstream outlets like CNN and MSNBC.
Presidential Response and Temperature
Utah Governor Spencer Cox had been making TV rounds calling for a lowering of the temperature. However, when President Trump appeared on "Fox & Friends," he stated: "Radicals on the left are the problem, and they're vicious and they're horrible and they're politically savvy although they want men in women's sports, they want transgender for everyone, they want open borders."
Kurtz noted that there are people who say President Trump blames the other side and doesn't try to bring the country together even in a moment like this. Bedford questioned whether unity is the right conversation to be having, arguing that stopping the violence is important but that the media has played the guilt by association game with Republicans for a decade, making every Republican answer for what happens on the far right, while not holding Democrats accountable for rhetoric that mirrors the far left.
A Dangerous Moment in American History
Kurtz referenced other recent acts of violence, including the murder of the United Healthcare CEO whose shooter was called a hero by some, two Israeli embassy staff members who were killed, and someone trying to burn down Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's mansion. He asked whether it feels like we're inching closer to a state of open warfare.
Gasparino again provided historical context, recalling the 1960s when cops were getting shot by the prior version of Antifa and political assassinations seemed to occur constantly, from George Wallace to Robert F. Kennedy. While acknowledging there's a history of political violence in America, he argued what's unique about this moment is that progressives who rule cultural institutions have for so long ignored what was brewing right under the surface, what was acceptable in mainstream Democratic progressive circles.
The segment ended with Kurtz mentioning that Charlie's wife Erika said on his podcast that she's going to continue his work, though the transcript cuts off before completing this thought.
