Comcast Execs Criticize MSNBC’s Matthew Dowd Comments About Charlie Kirk Following Shooting as ‘Unacceptable and Insensitive’: ‘We Need to Do Better’

Top execs of Comcast issued a memo to all Comcast and NBCUniversal employees about remarks made by Matthew Dowd, who was fired as an MSNBC contributor after he said on the air that conservative activist Charlie Kirk was a “divisive” figure who pushed “hate speech.” Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday at an event in Utah.

The memo Friday came from Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, Comcast president Mike Cavanagh and Mark Lazarus, who is CEO of Versant, the spinoff company that will include MSNBC (to be renamed MS NOW).

“You may have seen that MSNBC recently ended its association with a contributor who made an unacceptable and insensitive comment about this horrific event,” the memo says. “That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions. We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect. We need to do better.”

On Wednesday, during MSNBC’s live coverage of Kirk’s shooting, anchor Katy Tur asked Dowd about “the environment in which a shooting like this happens.”

Dowd responded by saying about about Kirk: “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 or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that is the environment we are in. You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”

Dowd’s comment spurred a backlash online and prompted MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler to issue an apology in response. She slammed Dowd’s comments as “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.”

Read the full memo from Roberts, Cavanagh and Lazarus:

Dear Comcast NBCUniversal Team,

The tragic loss of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old father, husband, and advocate for open debate, whose faith was important to him, reminds us of the fragility of life and the urgent need for unity in our nation. Our hearts are heavy, as his passing leaves a grieving family and a country grappling with division. There is no place for violence or hate in our society.

You may have seen that MSNBC recently ended its association with a contributor who made an unacceptable and insensitive comment about this horrific event. That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions. We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect. We need to do better.

Charlie Kirk believed that “when people stop talking, really bad stuff starts.” Regardless of whether you agreed with his political views, his words and actions underscore the urgency to maintain a respectful exchange of ideas – a principle we must champion. We believe in the power of communication to bring us together. Today, that belief feels more vital than ever. Something essential has fractured in our public discourse, and as a company that values the power of information, we have a responsibility to help mend it.

As employees, we ask you to embody our values in your work and communities. We should engage with respect, listen, and treat people with kindness.