EDITORS' CORNER
Key Takeaways
- University of Delaware students gave 'special thanks' to Charlie Kirk's assassin during a live TV comedy show episode.
- The university condemned the language used in the broadcast, stating it was deeply offensive and insensitive, and the reference was subsequently removed.
- A message from the campus TV station advised members to avoid media comments on the incident.
- Delaware Republican leaders called for accountability, criticizing the university for allowing such content to air under faculty oversight and demanding an investigation into the incident.
University of Delaware students thanked Charlie Kirk’s assassin in a school TV program overseen by a faculty member and the school’s Department of Communication.
The university’s Student Television Network recently aired a live comedy episode of The Bi-Weekly Show that listed “Charlie Kirk’s Killer” on a “Special Thanks” slide at the end of the program.
Nick Miles, the executive director of the Delaware Republican Party, posted a screenshot of the episode on X.
Other acknowledgments in the “special thanks” section included “cocaine” and “violence,” according to the post on X.
The station has since removed the reference to Kirk’s killer, The Daily Caller reported.
The university told The Federalist the school “unequivocally condemns the deeply offensive and insensitive language that appeared in the rolling credits of the live broadcast of a comedy program that was produced by the student-led television station.”
The school also told the outlet that after the show, a member of the station “immediately raised concerns among student peers about offensive language in the credits.”
“Recognizing the negative impact of that language, the group decided within hours of its original broadcast to remove the rolling credits before posting the content to their site,” the university said.
The Federalist obtained a message from a member of the campus television station telling student groups not to comment on the incident.
“As many of you may know, the most recent biweekly episode included a comment about the recent Charlie Kirk incident in their end credits. This has brought some outside media attention that could also involve our school and our club,” the email reads.
“If anyone from the media reaches out to you about this, please do not answer questions on behalf of the club,” it reads.
UD’s media relations office refused to answer The Federalist’s inquiries about whether the students, station, or supervising staff would face disciplinary action over the incident.
Leaders of the Delaware Republican party condemned the school and called for accountability in a news release.
“This program operates under faculty oversight, with taxpayer-funded resources, and carries the University’s stamp of approval,” Miles stated. “For something like this to make it on air is both disturbing and unacceptable.”
“When I was a student, there was a level of civility and respect that would never have allowed something like this to be broadcast,” Gene Truono, chairman of the Delaware Republican Party, stated.
“The University owes its students, parents, and alumni real answers. Our state’s flagship university must take immediate action to investigate this incident, identify who allowed it, and ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. Silence and cover-ups cannot replace accountability,” he stated.
