The Washington Post has fired longtime columnist Karen Attiah after she falsely attributed a quote to Charlie Kirk following his assassination, sparking internal backlash and accusations of journalistic misconduct. (RELATED: Joe Burrow’s Charity Fires Judge From Board Over ‘Inappropriate’ Posts About Charlie Kirk’s Assassination)
Attiah, who had been with the Post for over a decade, came under fire after posting a quote on Bluesky in which she claimed Kirk once said, “Black women do not have the brain-processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person’s slot.” The comment, widely shared after Kirk’s death, was flagged by journalists and media watchdogs as a mischaracterization of Kirk’s actual remarks.
Conservative journalist Jerry Dunleavy pointed out that the original comment had been directed toward specific individuals—Michelle Obama, the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Joy Reid, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson—not all black women generally, as Attiah implied.
Karen Attiah says she has been fired by WaPo. In her Substack, she shares her post which had mentioned Charlie Kirk & doubles down — & it’s a fake quote! Charlie did not say this about “Black women” writ-large, he said it about Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, & KBJ. pic.twitter.com/mN326WXKcS
— Jerry Dunleavy IV ?? (@JerryDunleavy) September 15, 2025
The Washington Post terminated Attiah over the post, citing “gross misconduct” and concerns that her comments could endanger colleagues. Attiah denied the charges and defended herself in a Substack essay, claiming she was punished for “speaking out against political violence, racial double standards, and America’s apathy toward guns.”
Attiah’s social media commentary also included broad attacks on white Americans, stating, “Especially white America is not going to do what it needs to do to get rid of the guns in their country,” and that Americans were willing to sacrifice children to preserve access to firearms.
The controversy drew sharp reactions from across the political spectrum, with critics accusing Attiah of exploiting Kirk’s death to push a false narrative, while some on the Left attempted to frame her firing as censorship of racial commentary.
The Washington Post has not issued a public comment beyond confirming her termination.
Charlie Kirk’s thoughts on Michelle Obama, Joy Reid, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. pic.twitter.com/A3hwo1NYOq
— VIBE Magazine (@VibeMagazine) September 12, 2025
The post Liberal Washington Post Columnist Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments appeared first on Real News Now.
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