Professor slammed for ‘despicable behavior’ with controversial reposts on Charlie Kirk

A University of Pennsylvania senior administrator is under fire for reposts and a controversial post of his own on X following Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

‘The white on white violence has gotten out of hand,” Professor Michael E. Mann, the director for the Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media, wrote in a now-deleted X post.

He also retweeted multiple posts slamming Kirk, including one from Max Granger mocking Ezra Klein’s New York Times column on the conservative activist, which said “Ezra Klein: I had my differences with the head of Trump’s Hitler Youth, but we both wanted the same thing: to make America great again.”

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He retweeted another post on Klein’s “Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way” column, dubbing it “whitewashing’ Kirk’s legacy. Mann himself posted that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox “was all ‘thoughts and prayers’ in the press conference” and included a link to Everytown, a gun control advocacy group, regarding a bill Cox previously signed.

His posts got the attention of conservative commentators as well as Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa.

“This is despicable behavior. This dangerous rhetoric cannot and will not be tolerated. I will unequivocally condemn this behavior and demand UPenn take immediate, decisive action,” McCormick wrote.

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“When people in positions of power, like [Mann], continually demonize their political opponents, calling them ‘nazis’ and ’threats to democracy,’ they cannot act shocked when people act on their inflammatory rhetoric,” Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, posted. “This is wholly unacceptable, [University of Pennsylvania]. Fire him.”

Zach Parkinson, a GOP communications director, pointed out Mann’s past Democratic ties, including being praised by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2024 on climate policy and being listed as a guest at a “Humanists for Harris” event hosted in Oct. 2024 by the Secular Democrats of America.

“Mann isn’t some random lefty Twitter troll. He’s a part of the Democratic establishment.” Parkinson wrote. “He’s been repeatedly invited by Democrats to testify in front of Congress, was an advisor to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, and is regularly featured by Democrats at political events.”

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Conservative communicator Steve Guest called the reposts “absolutely ghoulish content.”

Mann attempted to clear the air following the backlash on Thursday.

“I reposted this earlier today. I was simply agreeing w/ the (widespread) criticism of Ezra Klein’s claim that Kirk was ‘practicing politics the right way.’ I do NOT approve of the inappropriate & inflammatory language used to describe Kirk (which I’d overlooked. Have deleted,” he said in regards to Granger’s “Hitler Youth” remarks.

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In another post, Mann wrote that he hopes “they catch him” when referring to the suspect in the Kirk Shooting.

“Political violence is completely unacceptable no matter what ‘side’ it is on. I hope we can all agree with that,” Mann wrote.

Kirk’s assassination drew an outpouring of tributes for him and his family, but many people continue to fall into the spotlight for comments either praising or downplaying the tragedy.

Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Pennsylvania, Mann and his public relations representative for comment.