"Charlie Kirk was assassinated": Congress candidate calls out Nate Burleson for wanting Republicans to tone down their rhetoric

Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Nate Burleson has been in the news for his comments on Donald Trump's ally Charlie Kirk's death. The NFL analyst's comment has drawn criticism from Congress Candidate Jay Feely.

After political activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday, Nate Burleson urged the Republicans to "reflect on political violence."

"This is not a time to focus on [what people thought of Kirk's views]," Burleson said. "We're focused on this tragedy. Speaking of this tragedy, is this a moment for your party to reflect on political violence? Is it a moment for us to think of the responsibility of our political leaders and their voices, and what it does to the masses?"

The former wide receiver's comment has seemingly angered the Republicans, with Jay Feely calling out Burleson in his X post on Thursday:

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"This was highly offensive, Nate Burleson. Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of his family and you ask if Republicans need to tone down their rhetoric? When you call one side racist Nazis that are a threat to democracy you encourage this Violence."

Feely, a former NFL placekicker, worked as an analyst after his retirement. However, he turned to politics earlier this year in April as he announced he was running for a House of Representatives seat in Arizona’s 5th Congressional district.

Veteran sportscaster criticized Nate Burleson for his controversial comments

Nate Burleson continues to face backlash for his comments on "CBS Mornings." Veteran sportscaster Tim Brandon, who worked with CBS Sports for 18 years, lashed out at Burleson.

"I have nothing but positive things to say about my experiences there. The level of professionalism and decorum was its calling card. Walking through the Broadcast Center to Studio 43 was an honor. This kind of rhetoric would never have been tolerated.

"Some of what’s online today is disgusting but when ya see this on airwaves once considered pillars of journalism it’s no small wonder how we’ve plummeted," he continued. "It’s beyond the pale what’s said here. Where and when does this end?"

Neither Nate Burleson nor CBS Sports has addressed the controversial comments despite the backlash on social media.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash