ABC's Jonathan Karl Pushes Back On MAGA Outrage Over His Charlie Kirk Segment
Source: Huff Post
Sep 22, 2025, 04:16 AM EDT | Updated an hour ago
ABC News Jonathan Karl ― who only last week drew a face-to-face attack from Donald Trump ― has defended himself against criticism from the presidents loyalists after comments he made about the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk were clipped and went viral on social media.
Karl drew outrage from Trumpworld after a four-second video of him saying on Sundays episode of This Week that the murder of Charlie Kirk was not a political act was shared on X, formerly Twitter. Karl, in response, shared a video showing the full context of his comments. Heres what I actually said, he captioned the 78-second clip. Watch here:
In the video, Karl said:
Later today, family, friends, and supporters of Charlie Kirk will gather in Glendale, Arizona, for his memorial. The 31-year-old activists murder shocked the nation, and it was condemned by sensible and compassionate people in and out of politics and across the political spectrum. It has also been senselessly celebrated by some, a small minority, who didnt like what Kirk stood for and thought it was somehow, therefore, justified.
Celebrating or excusing violence is abhorrent. The murder of Charlie Kirk was not a political act, it was a gruesome crime. His alleged killer now faces the death penalty.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jonathan-karl-comments-shared_n_68d0fac3e4b03c190c210430

Walleye
(42,643 posts)It seems to me that some people who have been covering this Trump administration dont understand, that no matter how much you suck up to them, theyre still gonna be butt-hurt angry, that is their whole thing
LonePirate
(14,237 posts)Hypocrites one and all.
PatSeg
(51,022 posts)And often they can't even see the hypocrisy.
sop
(16,213 posts)I don't see people carrying signs, there are no million MAGA protest marchers converging on DC, no armed goons in statehouses demanding a Charlie Kirk national holiday. Even my stupid MAGA neighbor has yet to share his outrage, as he usually does about everything else. I could be wrong, but this whole thing seems like another corporate media fabrication.
BumRushDaShow
(160,828 posts)They have launched something to rally around while the billionaires "pick their pockets" and they ignore the "economics" that will bankrupt them, although 45 prefers to be the center of attention, and such an effort might get slowed, preempted, or even knee-capped by him due to ego.
They will still try to milk it though, like 45 has been milking the Butler, PA incident, so this conflagration about who gets more attention will actually cause some discord within the MAGat ranks at some point.
StarryNite
(11,876 posts)95,000 people attended his memorial service. How many of those people left the stadium amped up and looking for any excuse to "get even" with anybody who doesn't see that guy as a saint?
BumRushDaShow
(160,828 posts)And the grifting will begin with all the merch that has and will continue to come out.
Dr. T
(413 posts)I'm surprised they haven't thought of it yet.
BumRushDaShow
(160,828 posts)Bengus81
(9,457 posts)They love to bitch and whine about homeless encampments--what they left behind looks worse. Glendale taxpayers are stuck with the bill to clean that shit mess up.
StarryNite
(11,876 posts)I didn't watch any of the coverage of the spectacle. Not before, after, or during.
Bengus81
(9,457 posts)StarryNite
(11,876 posts)Thank you.
Wiz Imp
(7,537 posts)MAGAs are trying to claim 200,000 people attended. We should not repeat their obvious lies.
StarryNite
(11,876 posts)Wiz Imp
(7,537 posts)They're claiming 200,000 now because that's how many supposedly signed up online to attend. Of course, we know that signing up to attend means nothing. The majority of those people never had any intention of attending.
Remember Trump's rally in Oklahoma in like June of 2020? The one that killed Herman Cain? They were bragging that there would be tens of thousands of people there because that's how many people signed up online. In reality, no more than a couple thousand showed up.
StarryNite
(11,876 posts)Unfortunately they walk among us...lots of them.
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/shorts/crowds-turned-away-from-kirk-memorial-248027205913
Wiz Imp
(7,537 posts)Second, it shows them leaving, not staying outside. If they left, they should not be counted in the attendance. Reports said some people were turned away by security for trying to bring banned items inside. Others left because they didn't want to wait in line for a long time to get inside. I've still seen no evidence that there more than the 73,000 capacity of the stadium at the actual site.
StarryNite
(11,876 posts)Wiz Imp
(7,537 posts)However, I've seen pictures from there during the service and it wasn't close to being full. So, I'll concede if you count the people at the arena, the attendance was over 73,000, but based on what I've seen, it still wasn't close to 95,000. Probably low 80,000's at most.
Attilatheblond
(7,342 posts)Including with a mannequin wearing a blue suit, red tie, bad blond wig and maga hat. And, yep, he has added new a new sign about Charlie Kirk, all but claiming him to be a sainted warrior.
Give 'em time. The maga media is still working to ramp up the uproar.
SickOfTheOnePct
(8,673 posts)...in the video; very well said.
azureblue
(2,567 posts)That it was an even further right nut case that shot CK. a Groyper. Notice how that never gets mentioned when they talk about the killer? Nobody, not even Karl, MAGA or Trump, or even CK's wife, mentions that.
c-rational
(3,090 posts)only go for emotion, not fact or reason.
rubbersole
(10,617 posts)Bombing fishing boats, abandoned Afghanistan military bases, gaudy WH ballrooms or censoring Pentagon reporters didn't have anywhere near the media capturing attention span that turning Charlie Kirk into the second coming did. It has at least a week left before the next outrage.
SeattleVet
(5,747 posts)underpants
(193,256 posts)or the audience for there BS.
Cha
(314,638 posts)
Good on Karl for this... I remember Not liking him when President Obama was in Office.
TY
