Former Washington Post reporter Karen Attiah is threatening legal action against her ex-employer after she was fired by the newspaper for celebrating the brutal public murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Attiah is claiming that she is “now a victim” after being terminated earlier this month for social media posts glorifying Kirk’s political assassination.
The left-wing columnist was dismissed by the Post for “gross misconduct” after suggesting on Bluesky that she would not mourn a “white man that espoused violence.”
The outlet’s leadership said her remarks violated company policy.
The leftist Democracy Defenders Fund, which bills itself as a “nonpartisan, all-star team of experts dedicated to stopping the assault on democracy,” is representing Attiah.
In a letter sent to Post Chief Human Resources Officer Wayne Connell, the group claimed Attiah will “pursue all appropriate remedies” to challenge her termination.
“Ms. Attiah did not engage in any misconduct, much less in the ‘gross misconduct’ you allege in your letter of September 11, 2025,” the letter read.
“Rather, she did precisely the job you hired her to do as an opinion writer and acted fully in compliance with The Post’s own social media policy.”
The letter argued that Attiah “spoke truthfully and forcefully about matters of vital public concern,” adding:
“Her performance is worthy of praise – not condemnation – for speaking difficult truths at a challenging time.
“Ms. Attiah was clear in condemning the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
Controversial Posts After Kirk’s Assassination
In the days following Kirk’s assassination, Attiah wrote:
“Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is… not the same as violence.”
“Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness, and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.”
Attiah also resurfaced an old Kirk quote, originally directed at Joy Reid and Michelle Obama.
However, Kirk’s words had been manipulated and taken out of context and made to appear as though the statement applied to all black women.
She later admitted it was specifically about Reid and Obama.
Attiah further shared an article headlined “Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning.”
The article falsely claimed that Kirk was someone who preached “hate, bigotry, and division.”
Legal Threats Against the Post
The four-page letter from her representatives insisted Attiah used “journalistic caution during a fast-breaking news event” and claimed her firing may have violated the collective bargaining agreement between the Washington Post and the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
“We do not know yet whether The Post took this blatantly illegal action at the urging of Administration officials, although there is ample reason to ask the question,” the letter stated.
“We intend to investigate the alternative as well – whether this action was taken in bad faith out of fear that the administration would take or threaten to take some action against the Post.”
The letter also accused the Post and its owner, Jeff Bezos, of catering to the Trump administration:
“The Post or its owner, Jeff Bezos, has been heavily criticized for transforming the publication and especially the editorial page in an attempt to find a way into the good graces of the Administration and for finding ways to put money into the Trump family’s pockets through Amazon.”
It concluded: “The Post’s unlawful action against Ms. Attiah must, moreover, be viewed in the context of the intimidation campaign President Trump and his administration have waged to silence those who criticize him.”
Washington Post’s Policy
The Washington Post’s Policies and Standards handbook includes a section on social media, warning that staff must not post anything that would “make reasonable people question their editorial independence, nor make reasonable people question The Post’s ability to cover issues fairly.”
Attiah is represented in the matter by former MSNBC host Katie Phang and other attorneys.
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