The New York Times on Thursday issued a correction saying an earlier version of a story about the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had incorrectly attributed an antisemitic remark to him.
The correction said Kirk had been quoting a statement from a social media post on an episode of his podcast and then went on to critique it, and that the remark was not his own. The article had been part of coverage assessing where Kirk stood on key political issues after his assassination in Utah earlier this month.
The Times correction noted that "An earlier version of this article described incorrectly an antisemitic statement that Charlie Kirk had made on an episode of his podcast. He was quoting a statement from a post on social media and went on to critique it. It was not his own statement." The paper nevertheless continued to report that Kirk "was repeatedly accused of antisemitism, including by fellow conservatives," citing his support for ideas characterized as "replacement theory" and remarks about Jewish philanthropists that critics said promoted antisemitic tropes.
In its profile the Times said allies of Kirk frequently defended him by pointing to his public support for Israel and that he had defended Israel’s actions in Gaza. The paper cited examples of comments from Kirk’s podcasts and appearances in 2023 in which he criticized liberal Jewish donors and argued that conservative evangelical Christians were defending Judaism and Israel in the United States.
On Oct. 26, 2023, after the Hamas attack in Israel, Kirk was quoted in some outlets saying, "In a stunning turn of events, the people that the [Anti-Defamation League] said were Jew haters are actually the biggest defenders of Judaism and Israel right now in the country. Us." In a Nov. 7, 2023 appearance he said, according to reporting, "Jews have been some of the largest funders of cultural Marxist ideas and supporters of those ideas over the last 30 or 40 years. Stop supporting causes that hate you." The Times and other outlets have pointed to such remarks in reporting about accusations leveled against him.
Kirk’s supporters pointed to his public praise for Israel and high-profile endorsements. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an emotional tribute after Kirk’s killing, calling him a "once-in-a-generation" figure and a defender of what Netanyahu called "our common Judeo-Christian civilization." Netanyahu said Kirk had valued the bond between America and Israel and that he welcomed debate but did not invite the violence that ended his life.
A spokesman for Kirk previously called suggestions that he did not support Jewish people a "disgusting lie," according to reporting. Snopes and other outlets had criticized some of Kirk’s statements as engaging in antisemitic tropes, while other commentators and allies defended him as a staunch supporter of Israel.
Fox News Digital reported the correction and noted that the Times did not specify exactly which passage had been changed or whether the disputed wording had been deleted from the online story. The Times declined to comment to Fox News Digital when asked for additional details. The newspaper’s update drew criticism on social media from users who said the initial attribution was inaccurate.
The episode highlights the broader scrutiny of Kirk’s record following his death and the challenges news organizations face in reporting on contested public statements. Journalists and publications often balance contemporaneous quotations, social-media posts and interlocutors’ explanations when characterizing a public figure’s views. In this case the Times corrected a specific attribution while maintaining its reporting that Kirk had, at times, been accused by critics of making statements that drew allegations of antisemitism.
