Jemele Hill deleted a social media post in which she wrote that Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting was likely the result of a “white supremacist gang hit,” drawing criticism as prosecutors say there is no evidence tying the accused gunman to white supremacist groups.
Hill, a former ESPN personality who writes for The Atlantic, posted the comment on the social platform Bluesky after citing a Boston University scholar who spoke to the Los Angeles Times about markings on the killer’s bullet casings. The post was removed by Hill on Tuesday, a deletion first flagged by Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross.
Ross also posted that Hill’s original message referenced Joan Donovan, whom he called a “disinformation expert” and urged should be “shunned by the media.” The Atlantic and Hill did not immediately respond to requests for comment; Donovan could not be reached through the channels listed in the story.
The shooting victim, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot last Wednesday while speaking with students on a college campus in Orem, Utah. Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in the slaying and say he confessed in private messages, writing, according to charging documents, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” and that he killed Kirk because he believed Kirk “spreads too much hate.” Authorities say Robinson later wrote, “Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
As of Wednesday, prosecutors and investigators have not presented evidence linking Robinson to white supremacist groups. In the days after the killing, some online commentators circulated unverified theories tying the alleged shooter to far-right factions such as the “groyper” movement, a fringe white nationalist group known for online trolling. Prosecutors told reporters they believe Robinson acted alone and that his motivation was rooted in animus toward Kirk’s views and his own reported left-leaning, pro-LGBTQ positions. Media reports also say Robinson had been in a relationship with a transgender roommate.
Hill, whose work has shifted from sports coverage to cultural and political commentary, further inflamed reaction after remarks on her podcast in which she called Kirk a "white supremacist" and said his “entire purpose” in life was to discriminate against people “who were not straight white Christian men.” On her “Spolitics” podcast, Hill said she was “tired of white supremacist beliefs being considered a difference of opinion.”
Her comments and the deleted Bluesky post prompted criticism on social platforms. Some users called her response a “disturbing rant,” while others pointed to past writings and public statements by Hill in challenging her consistency. Hill previously attracted controversy during her tenure at ESPN, including a 2017 tweet calling President Donald Trump a “white supremacist,” and was suspended in 2017 for violating the network’s social media policy. She left ESPN in 2018 and joined The Atlantic later that year.
The killing has spurred a wider debate online about political violence, rhetoric and responsibility. Law enforcement officials have emphasized that the criminal investigation remains active and that motivation and affiliations must be established by evidence. Prosecutors have filed charges against Robinson and say his statements in charged messages were part of the evidence against him.
Reporting has also highlighted how quickly unverified claims and interpretations about motive can spread on social media after high-profile violent incidents. Media organizations and commentators have alternately urged caution while others have advanced competing accounts of motive and affiliation.
As the legal process continues, public and media scrutiny of both the shooting and the subsequent commentary about it remains intense. Hill’s deleted post and subsequent podcast remarks underscore the polarization around Kirk’s life and work, and reflect broader tensions over the intersection of political speech and public safety in the wake of lethal violence.