Journalist Kurt Eichenwald and Stoneman Douglas High School student Kyle Kashuv engaged in a series of Twitter direct messages, which Eichenwald later told Ben Shapiro were “deeply disturbing.”
The Daily Caller has obtained those direct messages, which are relevant because of Eichenwald’s prior comments about Kashuv.
Here are those direct messages:
The spat began last Friday when Eichenwald said on Twitter he had no “respect” for Kashuv, calling the 16 year-old’s followers “infantile.” He deleted the tweet, claiming he did not know he was talking to a Parkland survivor.
Eichenwald had previously declared Parkland kids is off-limits. “YES, attacking the Parkland kids personally, insulting HOW they said things rather than substance of what they say, is off limits,” Eichenwald said.
Some conservative pundits will never understand -YES, attacking the Parkland kids personally, insulting HOW they said things rather than substance of what they say, is off limits.
If you have nothing to add but invective and name-calling in ANY debate, you have nothing to add.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) March 30, 2018
Kashuv initially called for a satirical boycott of MSNBC advertisers as Eichenwald called himself an MSNBC contributor in his Twitter bio. Eichenwald later admitted he was no longer an MSNBC contributor and edited his byline after the outrage.
Eichenwald then apologized to Kashuv, who is an outspoken defender of the Second Amendment. In response, Kashuv accepted the apology, saying he did not want this “mistake” to be the end of Eichenwald’s career.
On a more serious note, Kurt: If you made a mistake and you’re truly sorry, apology accepted. We should all be more forgiving — including you (and others) of Laura Ingraham.
When will you and MSNBC do the same for Laura? https://t.co/x8W5mkD85T
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 30, 2018
I call on @kurteichenwald to publicly accept @IngrahamAngle apology to @davidhogg111 just as I accepted your apology.
Mistakes happen. Doesn’t mean it should be the end of their career.
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 30, 2018
This, however, did not end the feud.
Eichenwald asked Kashuv to send him a direct message on Twitter if he wanted to have “a serious discussion.”
I give up Kyle. I have treated you with nothing but respect when I realized my error a few minutes after I made it. I apologized to you immediately, I believe 3 times. If you ever want to have a serious discussion, let me know by DM.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) March 30, 2018
Kashuv obliged.
Tuesday, Shapiro tweeted out an email that Eichenwald sent him claiming that he would be writing a story about the relationship between Shapiro and Kashuv.
Eichenwald mentions the DMs, calling them “quite disturbing” and saying he shared them with a psychiatrist who diagnosed Kashuv as “in desperate need of psychiatric help.” The journalist called Kashuv mentally deranged and alleged that Kashuv is a part of a greater media conspiracy against him.
Here is that letter:
Vanity Fair told The Daily Beast Tuesday that Eichenwald is not a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.”