TV anchor says 'non-partisan tribute' to mentor Charlie Kirk got her suspended from ABC-affiliated station

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: A WICS news anchor from Illinois, Beni Rae Harmony, revealed that she resigned from her job on Monday, September 15, as her "non-partisan" tribute to Charlie Kirk led to her suspension from the media house.

Harmony told the Daily Caller News Foundation that she has "no regrets" after what she called an "attempt to censor" her tearful, on-air tribute.

Beni Rae Harmony says it is 'okay' for people to grieve Charlie Kirk’s death

Beni Rae Harmony informed the outlet that she was punished after she told viewers in the "non-partisan tribute" on Friday, September 12, that it is "okay" for people to grieve Charlie Kirk’s death and to "lean on your neighbors, speak up for what you believe in, I don’t care what it is."

Meanwhile, she reported on social media that she was "suspended" by her Springfield, Illinois station WICS, an ABC affiliate, following the tribute to Kirk.

Quoting Kirk, Harmony said in her on-air tribute, "When conversations stop happening, when individuals become wordless, that’s when violence begins... if you do one thing today, make it be with passion, with conviction, stand up for your friends, stand up for your beliefs, and speak loudly even if your voice shakes. Your words have meaning, your values have purpose, never forget that."

"Thank you CK, you changed my life," she added.

Harmony further mentioned that Kirk was her "mentor", her first boss, and "first person who made me believe in myself."

Harmony says she is the first to be targeted for honoring Charlie Kirk on air

Announcing her resignation in a post on X, Harmony wrote, "Many in the mainstream media have been fired or punished for mocking his assassination. I believe I am the first to be targeted for honoring him on air."

"My resignation is guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country, and always will," she added.

Harmony told the Daily Caller News Foundation, "I have no regrets for resigning from WICS following their attempt to censor my tribute to Charlie Kirk. While some in the liberal media like MSNBC immediately smeared him, I chose to take a different route and honor him, and WICS suspended me for it."

"I never told anyone to vote a certain way or subscribe to a certain ideology. I simply said it is okay to feel grief and sadness for a fellow American who was assassinated for engaging in the free exchange of ideas on a college campus. My values are more important than begging for a job with a network that cares more about its left-wing owners than its own humanity. I like to think that Charlie would be proud of me for standing up to them, and that’s all the peace of mind I need," she added.

Individuals fired for mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination

Many people lost their jobs for their negative response to Charlie Kirk's death. MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd was fired on September 10 after he suggested that Charlie Kirk's "hate speech" inevitably led to him being shot.

Similarly, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Section Chief Sean Kelly was also fired after an undercover clip went viral showing him laughing about the shooting of Kirk and saying he "kind of deserved it".

Moreover, American and Delta airlines fired pilots and employees after some were allegedly “caught celebrating” Kirk's death.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, "Pilots who were caught celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk have been immediately grounded and removed from service by @AmericanAir. This behavior is disgusting and they should be fired. Any company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior."

A school teacher in Toronto, Canada, was suspended after allegedly showing a video of Charlie Kirk’s shooting to 10-and 11-year-old students in his class.

A source told the Toronto Sun, "Several students from his class went home and complained to their parents, traumatized at witnessing the on-camera death, which they were forced to watch numerous times."