Illinois television reporter Beni Rae Harmony has resigned after being suspended for delivering an emotional on-air tribute to conservative activist
Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week while speaking at Utah Valley University.
During her Friday broadcast on Springfield’s ABC affiliate WICS, Harmony paused to reflect on Kirk’s death. “Two days ago, I lost a mentor, my first boss, the first person who made me believe in myself,” she told viewers. Calling Kirk someone who encouraged her to chase her career, she urged audiences to lean on one another and stand up for their beliefs.
She recalled one of Kirk’s sayings: “When conversations stop happening, when individuals become wordless, that’s when violence begins.” Harmony closed her remarks by thanking Kirk directly: “You changed my life.”
The station suspended her following the broadcast, prompting Harmony to announce her resignation on social media. In a post on X, she wrote: “Effective immediately, I have resigned from @WICS\_ABC20 after being SUSPENDED for airing a non-partisan tribute to Charlie Kirk this past Friday. Many in the mainstream media have been fired or punished for mocking his assassination. I believe I am the first to be targeted for honouring him on air.”
She continued: “My resignation is guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country, and always will. Thank you, Springfield. My home. My community. My people. God Bless Charlie Kirk and his beautiful family, and God Bless these United States of America.”
Harmony’s suspension adds to a growing wave of professional repercussions linked to public comments about Kirk’s killing. In recent days, MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd, PHNX Sports reporter Gerald Bourguet, a Middle Tennessee State University employee, and even a U.S. Secret Service agent have faced termination or disciplinary action over remarks viewed as inappropriate or politically charged.
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