Controversy regarding New York Times correspondent Nikole Hannah-Jones has ignited after she used a misleading quotation to portray slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk as racist. In her Sunday column, Hannah-Jones lamented the widespread mourning of Kirk, writing, “It was unsettling to many to see politicians from across the political spectrum speak with reverence about [Kirk].”
Hannah-Jones quoted Oklahoma resident Dominic Durant, who told his daughter that Kirk believed she lacked “the brain processing power.” In reality, Kirk had criticized four prominent Democrats—Ketanji Brown Jackson, Michelle Obama, Joy Reid, and Sheila Jackson Lee—arguing they had admitted to being “affirmative action picks” and lacked “the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously.”
The New York Times journalist, best known for the “1619 Project,” has long faced scrutiny for historical inaccuracies. She defended her use of Durant’s remarks, insisting, “The quote is exact and you know it. Durant extrapolated what he felt from that. His feeling is also not false.” But critics said she deliberately blurred fact and narrative. Reporter Jerry Dunleavy charged, “You wanted so badly to use the fake viral quote of what Charlie didn’t actually say but you couldn’t, so you back doored the false sentiment into your story.”
Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder, was assassinated in Utah on September 10. Police said suspect Tyler Robinson “clearly” had a “leftist ideology.”
