After conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University, Politico published a piece on the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that featured far-left streamer Hasan Piker, who once said “America deserved 9/11.” The coverage has sparked outrage from conservatives.
“I don’t think [Kirk] was ever debating for the purpose of finding the truth or from a position of intellectual curiosity,” Piker told Politico. He argued that Kirk’s campus debates were “propaganda” meant to humiliate opponents. Piker also suggested Kirk’s advocacy contributed to his own murder: “The rhetoric that came from Charlie was understandably seen by many people as also being inherently violent.”
Piker, who has millions of followers online, has previously faced backlash for denying Hamas atrocities and for controversial remarks about U.S. foreign policy. His appearance in Politico’s coverage came just weeks after the New Yorker faced criticism from the Anti-Defamation League for inviting him to its annual festival.
Politico was not alone in airing critical commentary. MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd said, “I always go back to ‘hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,’” while anchor Katy Tur described Kirk as a “divisive figure.”
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck while speaking to students. Police have since arrested a 22-year-old Utah resident as the suspected assassin.
