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Topics: Charlie Kirk, US News, Politics
Joe Harker
A TV presenter has announced that she's resigned from her job after she claimed she was suspended for airing a tribute to Charlie Kirk.
The 31-year-old right-wing speaker was shot dead in Utah last week while attending an event, with a manhunt being launched for the gunman.
A suspect has since been taken into custody and identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, with FBI director Kash Patel saying that Robinson 'essentially admitted' to being the shooter.
He said that a series of text messages had been identified in which he claimed Robinson had 'specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do that'.
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There have been various tributes made to Kirk, who, to put it mildly, was a highly controversial figure given the things he said, and one TV presenter said she'd been suspended for her tribute.
WICS-ABC20 Springfield presenter Beni Rae Harmony was the presenter of the channel's Marketplace show when she aired a tribute in which she described Kirk as 'a mentor, my first boss, the first person who made me believe in myself'.
However, she recently shared a post on Twitter saying she'd resigned after she'd been 'SUSPENDED for airing a non-partisan tribute to Charlie Kirk'.
Harmony said she thought she was 'the first to be targeted for honoring him on air'.
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In a statement, she said: "I have formally resigned from WICS ABC Newschannel 20, effective immediately.
"If you are waiting for a text from me, or email back regarding segments, or scheduling: Please direct all emails and calls to the WICS Newsroom, and someone will respond.
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"This is guided by values that are essential to who I am, to which I refuse to set aside, in order to keep a job. I choose my faith, and love of country, and always will.
"I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
"Thank you, Springfield. My home. My community. My people.
"God Bless Our Troops. God Bless Our First Responders, and God Bless these United States of America."
There's been a few people who've lost their jobs for their reaction to Kirk's assassination, as MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd was fired for saying the right-wing speaker had been 'constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech' and that 'hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions'.
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Meanwhile, a nurse claims she was suspended for reporting a doctor who she alleged 'celebrated' Kirk's death, though the hospital later said that both she and the doctor had been suspended so they could be investigated and that the nurse hadn't been fired or told to find another job.
LADbible Group has contacted WICS-ABC20 Springfield for comment.