Matthew Dowd slams MSNBC meltdown over Jimmy Kimmel suspension while ignoring his own termination
OREM, UTAH: Former MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd voiced frustration on Friday, September 19, over how his old network handled the fallout from Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension compared with his own dismissal.
Appearing on journalist Katie Couric’s YouTube channel, Dowd accused MSNBC of devoting round-the-clock coverage to Kimmel’s suspension while virtually ignoring the circumstances of his termination.
Ex-MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd accuses network of double standards
“All the shows are talking about how this is awful for America that Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely suspended,” Dowd said. “And isn’t this awful for America and a chilling thing for the First Amendment? They’re saying that on every platform. Not one person has said anything about me.”
He singled out 'Morning Joe' co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, noting that they had cheered his firing yet were now lamenting the late-night host’s suspension.
“They went after me after the show, basically saying they were glad I was terminated,” Dowd said, adding, “And now today they’re talking about how awful it is for our country that somebody like Jimmy Kimmel can’t say what he said and he is indefinitely suspended. And not an iota about what their employer just did to another employee.”
While both Dowd and Kimmel faced consequences for remarks linked to the same tragedy, Dowd contends that MSNBC’s selective outrage shows a double standard, one that left him isolated while Kimmel has received widespread expressions of solidarity from the media.
Controversy over Matthew Dowd remarks on Charlie Kirk
Statement from MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler: “During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable. We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in…
— MSNBC Public Relations (@MSNBCPR) September 10, 2025
Dowd was fired on September 10 following remarks he made during a segment on 'Katy Tur Reports', where he appeared to suggest that Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric contributed to his assassination. MSNBC condemned his comments, calling them “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” and issued a public apology.
On air, Dowd had said: “He’s been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to: hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”
🚨 BREAKING: Matthew Dowd has been FIRED from MSNBC after blaming the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Charlie himself, per Variety
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 11, 2025
Good riddance, loser! pic.twitter.com/BbfFxTTzpM
The remarks drew immediate criticism, ultimately leading to Dowd’s dismissal.
Jimmy Kimmel suspension fuels media backlash
Meanwhile, Disney-owned ABC announced the indefinite suspension of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' after Nexstar Media Group, currently seeking FCC approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger, said its stations would no longer air the program.
Nexstar’s decision followed Kimmel’s Monday night monologue about Kirk’s killing, in which he implied the alleged shooter was aligned with MAGA.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel told viewers.
Kirk was shot and killed at age 31 during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10.
