After Suffolk Republican Committee Chairman Jesse Garcia called Newsday to task for publishing what he described as a “vile” and “disgraceful” political cartoon depicting the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the daily paper pulled it and apologized to the Kirk family.
Garcia had called for an advertiser and subscriber boycott of Newsday after the newspaper ran the cartoon distributed nationwide by Creators Syndicate. It depicted an empty chair pierced by a bullet hole inside a tent modeled after Turning Point USA’s American Comeback college tour kickoff at Utah Valley University—the scene where Kirk was fatally shot while speaking earlier this month.
“This isn’t journalism. It’s a reckless, partisan attack that blames the victim, silences free speech, and shames everything this country should stand for,” Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia charged in a blistering statement.
He demanded that Newsday immediately remove the cartoon from all platforms, terminate the artist’s contract, and apologize to the Kirk family, the paper’s readers, and “every American who still believes in freedom of speech.”
On Saturday, Newsday published a syndicated editorial cartoon referring to the assassination of Charlie Kirk that was insensitive and offensive.
“We deeply regret this mistake and sincerely apologize to the family of Charlie Kirk and to all,” read a statement attributed to Newsday Leadership. “We made an error in judgment. The cartoon has been removed from our digital platforms.”
In his illustration, Chip Bok used the name of Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, and the theme of his Utah event—"Prove Me Wrong”—to suggest that Kirk's assassination might be a turning point for healing our nation's divide, according to Newsday. “The imagery was inappropriate and should never have been published in Newsday” the Leadership
“There is no way—or context—that this disgraceful political cartoon can be excused away,” Garcia said prior to the apology. “Anyone who traffics in hateful imagery has no place in a newsroom.”
Garcia urged Republicans to boycott advertisers and subscribers to withhold financial support from Newsday until those steps are taken.
“It’s this type of hate by media outlets like Newsday and others, social media platforms, and national, state, and local Democrat officials—that instill political violence against those they disagree with,” Garcia said. “Silence is complicity.”
Publication of the cartoon comes amid national mourning among conservatives over Kirk’s death. The 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA was fatally shot during a September 5 speaking event in Orem, Utah, in what authorities described as a politically motivated assassination.
Reaction to Newsday’s decision to run the cartoon spread quickly on social media Friday, with critics accusing the paper of mocking tragedy and fueling division at a time when political violence is at the forefront of national debate.