TMZ founder Harvey Levin is facing massive backlash after his staff was caught on camera cheering the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative leader gunned down on a college campus this week. The clip sparked outrage online, with YouTube users flooding Levin’s channel with thumbs-down reactions and angry comments.
At first, Levin tried to deflect, claiming the cheers were about a “car chase” unrelated to Kirk. But now, with public pressure mounting, Levin is changing his tune—and issuing a grim warning.
“I am not gonna mince words. I fear a civil war,” Levin said. “Charlie Kirk is different. This is not a politician. This is somebody who was slaughtered for his views… and I am worried, as much as I have been my entire life, about democracy and America.”
TMZ founder Harvey Levin is getting flooded with thumbs down on YouTube after his staff was caught cheering Charlie Kirk’s death.
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) September 14, 2025
After blaming a “car chase” for his staff’s cheers instead of Kirk’s death, he now says he fears a “civil war” is coming.
“I am not gonna mince… pic.twitter.com/GMOAV40BHx
Levin, a longtime observer of national unrest, referenced historic assassinations and upheaval: JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King Jr. But this time, he said, something feels different—because Kirk wasn’t part of the political machine. He was a grassroots threat to it.
Kirk built a movement that challenged leftist orthodoxy on college campuses, and for that, he became a target. His killing has sent shockwaves far beyond the conservative world. And now even figures like Levin—once dismissive of the Right—are beginning to realize just how fragile the culture has become.
"I am not gonna mince words. I fear a civil war," he said. "I have lived a long time, and I have seen a president assassinated. I have seen multiple attempts at killing presidents. I have seen civil rights leaders slain."
"I’ve seen presidential candidates slain. I have seen war. I have seen riots. But Charlie Kirk is different. This is not a politician. This is somebody who was slaughtered for his views and not pushing a particular, even political party. I think he had an ideology, and he was a young guy on college campuses," he added.
Despite his comments being too late, Levin expressed deep concern that some people now see political violence as a legitimate solution. He said he's more worried about America and the future of democracy than he’s ever been in his lifetime.
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