Fact Check: Did Patrick Mahomes Really Say He Would “Take Care of Charlie Kirk’s Children”?

Claim: The star quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, made a post on social media claiming that he would “take care of” the late Charlie Kirk’s children following his political assassination on September 10th.

Kirk’s assassination has rocked the United States of America, causing fear and concerns amidst an increase in political violence throughout the nation. Thankfully, it seems as if more public figures are willing to come together rather than come to blows, especially NFL stars.

Several players throughout the league took to social media to share their condolences and opinions on the matter throughout the past several days. One post, in particular, however, was the reported one of Patrick Mahomes.

Source of the rumor: One of the first instances of this post was found on a YouTube short, which was made by an account operating under the username of Nolan_Prod34. The short depicts a quote, which is attributed to Mahomes, that reads as follows, “Rest in peace my friend, let me take care of your children, America always opens its arms to patriots.”

The short itself has not been widely circulated, as this page is essentially nonexistent in the grand scheme of the internet. Nevertheless, some reports have repeated this information.

Verdict: Even though some may have found the post to be heartwarming, the unfortunate reality is that this was nothing more than a piece of manufactured content that was created by bad actors who were hoping to capitalize on the trending news involving Kirk’s name. In a time where political tensions are seemingly at their highest, something of this nature is as problematic as it is greedy.

Kirk was an incredibly polarizing figure in American politics, and his death, although gruesome, has drawn mixed reactions. Controversy breeds interactions, and top-trending names bring viewers, so it’s no surprise to see a series of inaccurate or bad-faith reports being made in the wake of his assassination as lesser individuals attempt to profit off of the chaos.

Thankfully, there was at least one heartfelt message from a member of the Mahomes family that proved to be true. Even though the Chiefs’ signal caller has stayed silent on the matter, that hasn’t stopped his wife, Brittany, from sharing her thoughts on the increasing amount of hate that continues to plague American politics.

Much like the rest of America, the sports world has done its best to pay homage to the fallen free speech advocate.