Erika Kirk at AmericaFest in Phoenix, December 2025. Photo by Gage Skidmore, cropped (CC BY-SA)
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Erika Kirk is hitting back at comedians and podcasters who joked about her husband’s killing. In a post on X Sunday, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk called it “beyond disgusting” to see “leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment.”
Key Takeaways
- Erika Kirk posted her statement on X on Nov. 8, writing that “a culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay.”
- It followed a clip of Dave Chappelle at Madison Square Garden saying that since Charlie Kirk was murdered, “I feel better.” The show was phone-free, and TheWrap noted the footage had not been verified. Chappelle hasn’t commented.
- I’ve Had It hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan apologized Saturday for laughing at a post about Kirk on their podcast; several sponsors have since pulled out, according to Mediaite.
- Her post didn’t name anyone. Outlets including Deadline and Variety connected it to the Chappelle clip and the podcast.
To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting.
— Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) November 8, 2026
The Full Story
“My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives,” she wrote. “You do not have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard.” Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025.
The Chappelle clip spread over the weekend after his two-night Karmageddon Tour stop at the Garden. In it, he prefaces the line by saying he feels “f—ed up saying this” and that “it’s scary being a public speaker,” then adds, “I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s just a feeling.” Because the shows required phones to be locked in pouches, it’s unclear who recorded it, and Chappelle’s camp hasn’t responded publicly.
The podcast backlash started earlier. On Thursday’s I’ve Had It, Welch and Sullivan laughed while reading a post-midterm social media joke about digging up Kirk. The clip was cut, and on Saturday they posted: “It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize.” They said they donated to Everytown for Gun Safety. Mediaite reports Cash App, Chewy, Zenni Optical and NOBL Travel have dropped the show.
What’s fact and what’s framing: Erika Kirk’s words are hers, on the record. The links to Chappelle and the podcast come from the timing and from news coverage, not from her naming them.