Newsday issued an apology Sunday after publishing a syndicated editorial cartoon that depicted the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, a drawing that drew sharp condemnation from local Republican leaders and calls for boycotts.
The cartoon ran in the paper’s Saturday edition and showed an empty chair with a bloodstain beneath a tent labeled “Charlie Kirk” and “Prove Me Wrong,” with an arrow pointing to the seat marked “Turning Point USA,” the conservative organization Kirk co-founded. Newsday said the image was "insensitive and offensive," removed it from digital platforms and said it regretted the decision to publish it.
"On Saturday, Newsday published a syndicated editorial cartoon referring to the assassination of Charlie Kirk that was insensitive and offensive," the paper said in its apology. "We deeply regret this mistake and sincerely apologize to the family of Charlie Kirk and to all. We made an error in judgment. The cartoon has been removed from our digital platforms."
The cartoon, drawn by Chip Bok, a Pulitzer Prize finalist who has produced work for outlets including the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post, prompted immediate backlash from Republican officials on Long Island. Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garcia called the cartoon "vile" and said Newsday had "crossed a line," demanding the paper remove the image from all platforms, terminate Bok’s contract and apologize to Kirk’s family and readers. Garcia also urged advertisers and subscribers to boycott the newspaper until those actions were taken.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman wrote on social media that the cartoon was "over the top despicable" and urged readers to "Cancel Newsday!" Several other lawmakers and readers criticized the paper’s decision to publish the image.
A day after the initial criticism, Garcia said he accepted Newsday’s apology. "Today, a little more than 19 hours after the statement from our Suffolk GOP condemning this disgraceful political cartoon, Newsday has publicly acknowledged its mistake, apologized to the Kirk family, its readers, and the broader public, and removed the cartoon from its platforms," he said in a statement.
Not all reactions were reconciliatory. Some readers and officials said the apology did not fully address concerns about editorial judgment, and questions remained about whether Bok would continue to supply cartoons to the paper. Newsday did not say whether it had terminated Bok’s contract and did not respond to requests for further comment.
The cartoon appeared amid heightened sensitivity following an attack on Kirk. On Sept. 10, Kirk, 31, was struck by a single gunshot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Video from the scene showed Kirk flinch and clutch his neck after the shot; authorities later identified an alleged shooter as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who officials said had written "Hey fascist! Catch!" on a bullet.
Newsrooms and political observers have debated the boundaries of editorial satire and public discourse in the wake of attacks on public figures. Newsday's apology framed the cartoon as a misjudgment and said the image should not have been published, acknowledging that the imagery was inappropriate and should not have run in the paper.
Chip Bok has produced editorial cartoons for numerous national outlets over several decades; it was not immediately clear whether he was under contract with Newsday or worked with the paper on a freelance basis.
The episode underscores tensions on Long Island and beyond over media coverage, political violence and the role of opinion art in public life. Newsday's removal of the cartoon and its apology ended the immediate circulation of the image on the paper's platforms, but the incident drew national attention and renewed debate about editorial standards and the limits of political satire.
