An Illinois television anchor resigned Monday after being suspended for airing what she described as a "non-partisan tribute" to conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination.
Beni Rae Harmony, an anchor for WICS Newschannel 20, the ABC affiliate in Springfield, Illinois, posted her resignation on the social platform X, writing, "My resignation is guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country, and always will." Harmony had been suspended by the station after the on-air remarks.
Video of Harmony’s on-air comments, shared publicly by the anchor, shows her emotional as she urged viewers it was acceptable to grieve. She said Kirk was her first boss and recounted one of his sayings: "When conversations stop happening, when individuals become wordless, that’s when violence begins." Harmony also told viewers, "There's a lot going on in our world right now, and our country, but I want to say one thing. Lean on your neighbors, speak up for what you believe in, I don't care what it is." Her LinkedIn profile lists employment at Turning Point USA from 2021 to 2022.
It was not clear whether Harmony had been given a station directive not to deliver a tribute or whether her remarks ran without prior approval. WICS is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Fox News Digital reached out to the station for comment; an individual at the station declined to comment when contacted by phone.
The suspension and resignation come amid a broader media backlash and personnel changes in the wake of Kirk’s killing. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while speaking at a campus event in Utah last week. The attack prompted widespread expressions of grief and anger as well as contentious debate about how public figures and media organizations should respond.
Some commentators and outlets faced consequences for social media posts or on-air remarks made in the immediate aftermath. A Washington Post columnist was dismissed over social media posts following Kirk’s death, and Matthew Dowd, a former MSNBC political analyst, was fired by the network after remarks he made in the hours after the shooting suggesting a link between Kirk’s rhetoric and the violence. Dowd later said he had not known at the time that Kirk had died and criticized MSNBC’s decision to dismiss him.
The episode has intensified scrutiny of newsroom policies and the boundaries of commentary after violent incidents. News organizations have moved to discipline or remove staff over posts that were interpreted as celebrating the assassination, while some critics have argued that firings of those who mocked the killing represent a broader form of "cancel culture." Others say the swift actions reflect newsroom standards and employer judgments about public conduct.
Harmony told her followers on X that she believes she may be the first media figure to be targeted for honoring Kirk on air. Her resignation underscores immediate tensions within local newsrooms over editorial control, personal expression and the handling of an emotionally charged national story.
As of Monday, the station had not issued a public statement detailing the suspension or the resignation. Coverage of personnel decisions across national outlets has continued to evolve as news organizations review social posts and on-air remarks related to the assassination.