Hours after Dave Chappelle ridiculed the murder of right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk, his widow on Sunday attacked “podcasters, comedians and commentators” who were laughing at “the political assassination.”
Erika Kirk, CEO of the youth-focused conservative group Turning Point USA, said this kind of humor was “beyond disgusting” and that she feared for America’s “moral decadence.”
“Seeing left-wing podcasters, comedians and commentators mocking political assassination as if it were entertainment and the destruction of human life was a punchline is beyond disgusting,” she posted.
“My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, a situation that our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives. A culture that mocks assassination is one of profound moral decadence.”
Although Kirk did not mention Chappelle by name, his comments came after his concert Saturday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“Since this guy Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better,” Chappelle said, according to fan videos of the show circulating online, which elicited a handful of uncomfortable laughs from the stunned audience.
In another clip from Madison Square Garden making the rounds, Chappelle said, “I’m sure Charlie Kirk is watching us right now, laughing so hard he can’t breathe.”
Erika Kirk’s denunciation also follows an apology from the hosts of the “I’ve Had It” podcast for ridiculing the assassination.
“On Thursday’s show, we laughed at a joke about Charlie Kirk,” Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan said in a joint statement Saturday. “It was an insensitive joke, and we shouldn’t have laughed. We regret it and apologize.”
In the episode in question, Welch and Sullivan were reading social media posts about the 2026 midterm elections and mocking one that said, “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and we’ll do it again.” »
Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot to death on September 10 last year during an outdoor speaking engagement at Utah Valley University. Former UVU student Tyler Robinson is charged in the murder.
“You don’t have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life,” Erika Kirk said Sunday. “It shouldn’t be this difficult. Political violence should never be something this country tolerates, condones or celebrates.”
Before Kirk’s comment, Chappelle had been embraced by some conservatives for his years of mocking the transgender community.
This goodwill has probably ended.
“Chappelle just isn’t funny anymore,” conservative mega-donor Elon Musk posted on X Sunday night. Reacting to one of the clips from Madison Square Garden, Musk wrote: “Dave Chappelle is cruel.”
A representative for Chappelle did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
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