Fact check: Did Charlie Kirk say black women do not have the brain power

1. Summary of the results

The claim that Charlie Kirk said black women do not have the brain power is supported by some analyses, which directly quote Charlie Kirk as making such a statement about specific Black women, including Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson ^[1]. These sources suggest that Kirk stated these women 'do not have the brain processing power to be taken really seriously' and that they 'had to go steal a white person's slot' to be taken seriously ^[1]. However, other analyses contradict this claim, stating that Kirk's quote was altered and taken out of context, and that he was specifically talking about affirmative action and certain individuals, not making a general statement about all Black women ^[2]. Some sources do not provide any relevant information to support or contradict the claim, either because they discuss unrelated topics ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} or appear to be unrelated pages ^[7].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key missing context in the original statement is the specificity of Charlie Kirk's statement, as some sources clarify that he was talking about specific individuals, not all Black women ^[1]. Another missing context is the issue of affirmative action, which some sources suggest was the actual topic of Kirk's statement, rather than a general attack on Black women's intelligence ^[2]. Alternative viewpoints include the idea that Kirk's statement was taken out of context and that he was not making a general statement about all Black women ^[2]. Additionally, some sources provide indirect evidence that supports the claim, such as the firing of a Washington Post columnist over her social media posts about Charlie Kirk, including one that referenced his quote about Black women not having 'brain processing power' ^[8]. It is also worth noting that some sources do not mention the statement at all, instead discussing unrelated topics such as Charlie Kirk's death, legacy, and controversies surrounding his movement ^[4], or the backlash against Texas teachers who made comments about Charlie Kirk's assassination ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading because it does not provide context about the specificity of Charlie Kirk's statement, which could lead readers to believe that he made a general statement about all Black women ^[1]. The statement may also be biased towards portraying Charlie Kirk in a negative light, without considering alternative viewpoints or the context of his statement ^[2]. Additionally, the statement may lack evidence from sources that do not support the claim, such as those that discuss unrelated topics or do not mention the statement at all ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}. Overall, the potential misinformation and bias in the original statement highlight the importance of considering multiple sources and alternative viewpoints when evaluating claims ^{[1] [2]}.