Sam Ponder receives hate messages after Charlie Kirk statement
Sam Ponder receives hate messages after Charlie Kirk statement
Former ESPN host Sam Ponder has revealed that she has received a surge of disturbing messages after publicly mourning the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Ponder expressed sympathy for Kirk’s family following his fatal shooting at a Utah university event, and in the days after, said the backlash in her social media inbox was especially intense.
Ponder, who left ESPN in 2024 after 13 years with the network, stated that her DMs were “more disturbing than ever” in response to those who criticised her for expressing sorrow for someone whose political views they oppose. She questioned the idea that sympathy for a person should depend entirely on agreement with their beliefs.
Her commentary follows a public post lamenting the loss of Kirk, in which she called for compassion and for people to mourn with those who are grieving, even when they believe the deceased held views they disagree with.
The exchange has highlighted the increasingly polarised environment on social platforms as public figures often face scrutiny for the way they respond to sensitive and divisive events and the Charlie Kirk assassination has proved to be one of the most divisive events this year.
