Politician Wants CEOs of Steam, Discord, Twitch, and Reddit to Testify Before Congress After Charlie Kirk Assassination

Following the death of Charlie Kirk, the heads of Steam, Discord, Reddit, and Twitch have been asked to testify before a US House committee. Representative James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, requested that leaders like Steam CEO Gabe Newell appear in October to discuss the matter.

During a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10th, conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck and collapsed. He was immediately taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital for emergency surgery but sadly died from his injuries. The next day, Tyler Robinson, the suspected shooter, surrendered to authorities after a day-long search. Utah Governor Spencer Cox reported that investigators found bullet casings with references to the video game *Helldivers 2* engraved on them, allegedly by Robinson.

US House Oversight Committee Requests CEO Appearances At October 8 Hearing

  • Twitch CEO Dan Clancy
  • Valve/Steam CEO Gabe Newell
  • Discord CEO Humam Sakhnini
  • Reddit CEO Steve Huffman

The situation following Ryan Kirk’s death has sparked controversy and had significant consequences, with some gaming industry professionals reportedly losing their jobs after publicly discussing the event online. As part of an ongoing investigation into Kirk’s death, the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has asked the CEOs of Valve (Gabe Newell), Discord (Humam Sakhnini), Twitch (Dan Clancy), and Reddit (Steve Huffman) to testify before the full committee on Wednesday, October 8th, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.

Following recent violent events, Congressman Comer has requested that the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit testify before the Oversight Committee. He believes Congress has a responsibility to examine how online platforms are being used to promote political violence and wants to understand what these companies will do to prevent their platforms from being used for harmful purposes in the future.

The heads of the four companies have until October 6th to let the House Oversight Committee know if they will appear and testify before the committee’s 47 members. This wouldn’t be the first time Newell has had to address government requests; last year, a court denied Newell’s request to participate remotely in a legal case involving Steam and Wolfire Games.

Right now, it’s unknown how the CEOs contacted by the US House will react to their request. Importantly, the House hasn’t issued a subpoena, meaning the CEOs can choose whether or not to comply. With the ongoing discussion about gun violence, it’s still uncertain what will come out of the House Committee’s hearing.

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2025-09-17 23:13